Carthaginians and Romans Festival in Cartagena, Spain
15 – 24 September 2023
Basic Information
When: 15 – 24 September 2023
Where: Cartagena, Spain
Official website: https://cartaginesesyromanos.es/
Hotels: Hotels in Cartagena
15 – 24 September 2023
When: 15 – 24 September 2023
Where: Cartagena, Spain
Official website: https://cartaginesesyromanos.es/
Hotels: Hotels in Cartagena
Cartagena, in Spain, is worth visiting at any time of year.
Primarily during the second half of September when the Festival of Carthaginians and Romans goes on in town.
You feel welcome when you arrive in this beautiful city.
It has a great atmosphere, remarkable architecture and smiling people.
And, of course, it has this charming festival Carthaginians and Romans at the end of September.
Cartagena is proud of its ancient past, and its people are the engine of this unique annual festival in Spain.
Otherwise, peaceful citizens of Cartagena are dressed up in historical costumes and weapons to reenact the fierce battle.
A colourful and quite noisy spectacle that attracts thousands of visitors from Spain and abroad.
For the two last weeks of September, more than four thousand Carthaginians are involved in these games and festivities.
It started in 1990 to relive the events of the Second Punic War over 2,200 years ago.
During the festival, you can see games that show all the heroic events that occurred during the period from about AD 227 to 209 BC,
The show creates a magical atmosphere in the cosy resort of Cartagena.
The program includes daily dramas founding of Qart Hadasht, the destruction of Sagunto,
Wedding and Imilce Hannibal, the oracle of Tanit, the march of Hannibal to Rome, the landing of the Roman fleet, parades of troops and legions, and the fight to conquer Qart-Hadasht.
You can participate in several different activities during the festival.
Visit the craft market and, not least, enjoy the many food specialities the Carthaginians offer at the festival area and in their bars and restaurants.
Besides all the great and lovely Roman-themed places to eat at the festival area, you will find many cosy bars and cafes and Calle Mayor with good drinks and tapas.
You can find some good hotels to choose from in Cartagena.
A popular hotel in the historic centre is NH Hotel, an excellent 4-star hotel and the roman theatre is only 200 meters away.
As you see in the picture above, it offers rooms with a fantastic sea view.
Cartagena is on the Mediterranean in the southeast of Spain.
When arriving, you soon see that you’ve come to a place that has seen its fair share of battles, conquests and different civilizations over more than 2000 years.
You first notice the massive rampart, which runs along a good part of the port and nearly encircles the old part of town.
It was built by King Charles III in around 1728 when Cartagena became the Arsenal and Spanish marine department headquarters.
It’s the last of many fortifications to protect the city’s natural and strategically important harbour.
That was why Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Byzantines and Arabs were eager to rule over the city.
Founded in 227 BC by the Carthaginian Hasdrubal, the Fair, Cartagena, lived its heyday during the Roman Empire.
It was Scipio Africanus who, in 209 BC conquered the city and the port and renamed it Carthago Nova.
He managed to do so by assault, and the battle is one of several which comprise the 2nd Punic War.
You find several landmarks from different times and cultures along the port and past.
Turning from the port towards the pedestrian zone of Calle Mayor, you find the Roman Theatre.
It is the second largest on the Iberian peninsula and was built in the 1st century BC.
When Hasdrubal founded Cartago, the first rampart was built to defend the city and port.
The remains of the Punic wall can be seen in a museum a few steps from the main bus terminal.
During an excavation of the Punic wall, the archaeologists happened up a Christian crypt with burial niches for monks.
Along Calle Mayor, you can admire beautiful art deco buildings and facades from the 19th and early 20th centuries when Cartagena prospered from trade and mining.
The Casino, Grand Hotel (today a bank) and Casa Aguirre, which houses the Museum of Modern Art, are just a few.
Another highlight is Casa de la Fortuna, a nearly intact Roman villa with beautifully preserved frescos.
A boat trip around the harbour can best obtain an overview of Cartagena´s importance as a naval centre;
Lighthouses, forts on both sides of the entrance and a view of the Museo Naval and the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Countless sites await to be visited in Cartagena, and doing so during the festival adds a unique flavour to the experience of Cartagena´s past and present.