Route
Submarino Peral, Palacio Consistorial en the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Calle Mayor, Plaza del Rey, Plaza San Sebastián, Plaza San Francisco, Palacio Aguirre in the Plaza de la Merced
Modernist Cartagena
The end of the 18th century brought a renaissance to Cartagena: after years of darkness, the Crown of Spain chose our port as the site of its Naval Base in the Mediterranean, turning it into a maritime capital. Military society would be joined by a new social class never seen before: that of rich merchants, who came to the Sierra de Cartagena-La Unión mountains to build mines there. Thanks to this thriving industry, magnificent urban palaces popped up through which these wealthy magnates sought to show their power.
Route: Meeting Point at the Tourism Office in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (City Hall Square). We proceed to the city's seafront, the former site of its Veladas Marítimas, maritime processions once held in the city's bay; and visit the facility harboring the Peral Submarine, a city icon. We then return to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (City Hall Square) to visit the vestibule of the Palacio Consistorial (City Hall). On the Calle Mayor we'll be able enjoy the facades of the Casa Cervantes and the Casino, and from there it is on to the Plaza del Rey (King), the site of one of our Holy Week's most celebrated events. The Gran Hotel and the Casa Maestre will accompany us on our way to the Palacio de Don Camilo Aguirre, a lavish mansion giving us a glimpse of the luxurious decorations that the members of Cartagena's very well-heeled bourgeoisie enjoyed.