La Manga and Cartagena private tour with Cabo de Palos Lighthouse visit

The lighthouse is one of the most interesting neoclassical buildings in the Region of Murcia. Located on a rocky headland, it sits on the last hill of the coastal mountain range of Cartagena. At this point the land submerges under the Mediterranean waters before reemerging in the islands of Islas Hormigas. Originally created to house the school of "Escuela de Torreros", the lighthouse faces East on the highest point of the cape, an area where there was an artillery emplacement or watch tower back in the day. The idea of building a watch tower on the headland of Cabo de Palos as part of defense system covering the entire Murcia Region coast, is attributed to king Felipe II in 1570. The original tower was destroyed in 1861 with the idea of building what is now the Cabo de Palos Lighthouse, project coordinated by the engineer Leonardo de Tejada. The construction certificate of acceptance was dated December 18, 1864 and the lighthouse first emitted light on January 31, 1865.

Calle Mayor is the main pedestrian street with beautiful architecture in old Cartagena that takes you from the cruise port past the Roman Theatre/Museum, the Church of Santa Domingo, and many shops and restaurants. Other sites are easy to walk to from here. There are many interesting buildings to see whilst walking in this area. Do take the time to look up also as there are a variety of balconies to see.

Cartagena, port city, in the provincia (province) and comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Murcia, southeastern Spain. It is the site of Spain’s chief Mediterranean naval base. Its harbour, the finest on the east coast, is a deep spacious bay dominated to seaward by four hills crowned with forts and approached by a narrow entrance guarded by batteries. The outer bay is sheltered by Escombrera Island.

The Conception Castle is the best starting point to explore the city and acquire an overview of its 3,000 years of history. Located on the hill of the same name, it has served as the enclave to a Roman temple dedicated to Asclepius, a Muslim fortress, a medieval castle, or the place where the siren was installed that warned the population of the bombing during the Civil War. Also, from the fortress, one can get the best panoramic views of the city and its port. Everything within reach thanks to the panoramic lift that saves walking up the hill.

La Manga, or La Manga del Mar Menor is a seaside spit of Mar Menor in the Region of Murcia, Spain. The strip is 21 km long and 100 meters wide, separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Mar Menor lagoon, from Cabo de Palos to the Punta del Mojón.

The Punic wall of Cartagena is an archaeological site from the 3rd century BC in which can be seen the first defensive wall of Cartagena, built by the Carthaginians. This is an important site because it is one of the few remains of Carthaginian civilization in Spain, and the walls bear witness to one of the most important events of Ancient history in the Mediterranean Sea: the Second Punic War.

The theatre was built between 5 and 1 BC, as has been proven by the dedication of the edifice to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons of Augustus, who had designated them as his successors. In the 3rd century AD a market was built over the theatre, reusing its materials, with a semicircular open space which followed the plan of the orchestra. The market was perhaps abandoned after a fire caused by the Vandals in 425. A market quarter of the Byzantines was established on the site in the 6th century AD. Dedicatory inscriptions to Gaius and Lucius Caesar. During the 13th century, the Old Cathedral of the city was built over the upper cavea. In 1988 the first remains of the theatre were discovered during the construction of the Centro regional de artesanía. The archaeological excavations and the restorations were completed in 2003. In 2008 a museum, designed by Rafael Moneo, was opened.