Cartagena | Ray and Shelley's Retirement Adventures

We went to check out the Cartagena Punic Wall Interpretation known as “El Centro de interpretacion de la murall Punica”. The Punic wall interpretation center was built to the same dimensions as of the wall height and width of the original wall. The center highlights the recovery of remains from the ancient Carthaginian wall which was used as a defensive wall system in Cartagena.

The design of the wall is known as the Hellenistic model. It has two parallel walls constructed with large sandstone blocks. The walls were 10 meters high (33 feet) and inside the walls, there was space divided into different sections. Each section was used for a specific purpose, horse stable, weapons storage and living quarters etc.

We walked through the center looking at the remains of the wall. It was hard to imagine that the walls were built around 200 BC.

We then came to the stairs which led to an area that was discovered to contain a funeral crypt. The crypt belonged to the hermitage of Saint Joseph and was built during the XVI and XVII centuries.

We went down the stairs and saw the crypt which contained actual remains from that time period. At the base of the stairs, the crypt was opened on one side and it was sealed on the other side.

Funeral crypt built during the XVI and XVII centuries

Inside the open crypts, there were remains from that time period.

Crypts dated from 16th and 17th centuries

The one side of the crypt was intact and was not opened. The original wall along with a painted image which was slightly visible.

The wall and crypt were very interesting and something we enjoyed seeing. There is an amazing history of Cartagena and it was an enjoyable visit.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

We went to the city of Cartagena which is located in the region of Murcia approximately 120 kilometers from Alicante. The city with a population of 218,000 is located on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. Cartagena is a very old city which has a history as far back at 228 BC. The city’s defensive location surrounded by five mountains made it an excellent port with fortifications. Throughout the centuries the city has been conquered by different groups.

Our first stop in Cartagena was the Castillo de la Concepcion, a medieval castle. The walkway up to the castle was beautiful with great views of the city and the sea.

Part of the walkway to the Castillo de la Concepcion

Along the walk to the castle, we came across some peacocks. They were quite tame and did not move far off the trail as we went by.

Peacock leading the way up the trail to the castle

We admired the features along the way to the castle including the tiled walls which depicted historical events.

Tiles with image of historic aspect of Cartagena on trail to the Castillo de la Concepcion

We came across some beautiful trees, one of them had their roots exposed.

Flowering tree along the trail to the castle

When we were almost to the castle there was a large flat area which contained a large chimney. This was used in ancient times similar to a lighthouse. They would put a large fire at the base and pull out selected stones to allow light to shine through.

Felipe and Ray in front of the ancient chimney at Castillo de la Concepcion

As we got higher up on the trail there were some beautiful views of the city.

When we reached the castle, we stopped to enjoy the view. We could see the old Roman Theater and other features within the city of Cartagena.

View near the Castillo de la Concepcion in Cartagena.

View of Cartagena from the Castillo de la Concepcion

We then went and explored the Castillo de la Concepcion. There were several rooms which were designed as cisterns. There was limited access to water at the castle so they captured rainwater. We were able to walk through the cisterns and look at its design.

Inside the cisterns on Castillo de la Concepcion

There were several rooms with displays of different artifacts. We saw a “Strongbox” which was used for currency control and to hold important documents from the 16th century.

16th-century “Strongbox” at Castillo de la Concepcion

16th-century book with important historic information.

We saw many interesting artifacts in the Castle, but what was extremely impressive was the outside section of the Castle. The views from the top of the castle were breathtaking. We could see the entire city and the mountains in the background.