Sercotel Alfonso XIII
Why we like it: Four-star hotel with 124 rooms on the Paseo Alfonso XIII, with its own refurbished car park and electric chargers, a walk from the old town.
From €89
View details
Duration2 nights
From Alicante1 h 15 by car (estimated)
Best timeMarch – June · September – November
Budget€170–260 pp
DifficultyLow
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Friday evening and sleeping two nights in Cartagena. Saturday is for the city, when all the museums are open until mid-afternoon; Sunday, for the beach and the caldero.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival in Cartagena
From Alicante to Cartagena in an hour and a quarter. Leave the car in the hotel garage or a public car park and take a stroll along Calle Mayor and the harbour. La Marquesita, on Plaza de Alcolea, is open on Friday nights from 20:00.
Saturday
- 110:00Roman theatre and castle
Start with the Roman Theatre Museum, walked through tunnels to the cavea. Then take the panoramic lift up to the Concepción Castle to see the whole harbour, and go down to the Civil War Museum-Shelter, at the foot of the lift.
- 214:00Caldero in the centre
Lunch at La Marquesita: caldero with grey mullet to share. Book.
- 316:00Boat round the dock and ARQVA
The tourist boat leaves at 15:00 and at 16:00 on November weekends, and stops at Fuerte de Navidad. From 14:00 on Saturday the ARQVA is free: when you get off the boat, an hour among shipwrecks facing the harbour.
Sunday
- 109:30Calblanque beaches
Half an hour to the regional park. Outside summer you enter by car; in July and August, by bus from Los Belones. Calblanque, Larga and Negrete beaches, with no bars or shade: bring everything.
- 214:00Caldero at Cabo de Palos and the drive back
El Mosqui, next to the lighthouse climb, is open every day at midday. Then back to Alicante by motorway in a good hour and a half.
From Alicante, Cartagena is an hour and a quarter away on the Mediterranean motorway. It is a city you see on foot and has enough museums for a whole weekend: the Roman theatre, the castle, the Civil War shelter, the museum of sunken ships and the harbour from the water. Half an hour away, the Calblanque Regional Park offers a beach with no buildings, and Cabo de Palos, the caldero. From Murcia it is 40 minutes; from Albacete, about two hours.
What goes into the weekend?
| Visit | Time | Price in November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Roman Theatre Museum | 1 h 30 | €7 |
| Concepción Castle and lift | 1 h 15 | €5 + €2 |
| Civil War Museum-Shelter | 45 min | €4 |
| Tourist boat and Fuerte de Navidad | 1 h | €8 |
| ARQVA | 1 h 30 | €3; free on Sunday |
| Calblanque beaches | Half a day | Free; paid bus in summer |
Where to sleep?
In Cartagena, if you are going to get around on foot: the Sercotel Alfonso XIII, a four-star on Paseo de Alfonso XIII with its own parking, a fifteen-minute walk from the theatre; or the B&B Hotel Cartagena Cartagonova, simple and right in the centre, which admits pets. If you come in a motorhome or with children who want a pool, Camping Caravaning La Manga is opposite Calblanque and open all year.
If it rains
Saturday stands up well to rain: museums, shelter and ARQVA are all indoors. On Sunday, swap Calblanque for the Roman Forum Museum and the Punic Wall, which are also open on Sunday.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Cartagena and Calblanque, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Cartagena and Calblanque
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The City on Foot, the Coast by Car
Cartagena is seen on foot; the car is for getting there and for the coast: Calblanque, Cabo de Palos and Cala Cortina.
70–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to SleepSercotel Alfonso XIII, with its…
- Getting AroundLeave the car in a…
- Where to EatLa Marquesita, in the Plaza…
- ServicesTourist office in the Town…
Where to Sleep
- Sercotel Alfonso XIII, with its own parking and electric charging
- Camping Caravaning La Manga, opposite Calblanque
Getting Around
- Leave the car in a car park and tour the old town on foot
- To Calblanque by the La Manga motorway and the park exit, about 30 minutes
- In summer, to the Calblanque beaches on the bus from Los Belones
Where to Eat
- La Marquesita, in the Plaza de Alcolea, opens on Sunday at lunchtime
- El Mosqui, in Cabo de Palos, for the caldero
Services
- Tourist office in the Town Hall, also on Sunday mornings
Cartagena by Train or Bus from Murcia
The old town, the museums, the castle and the boat are all done on foot. From Murcia there is an Interbus bus and a Renfe train, so you do not need a car except for the coast.
60–100 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to SleepB&B Hotel Cartagena Cartagonova, in…
- Getting AroundOn foot through the old…
- Where to EatLa Marquesita, a few steps…
- ServicesCentral Bus Station, on Avenida…
Where to Sleep
- B&B Hotel Cartagena Cartagonova, in the centre, accepts pets
- Sercotel Alfonso XIII, in the new town, fifteen minutes from the theatre
Getting Around
- On foot through the old town; the panoramic lift goes up to the castle
- Tourist boat around the harbour basin to Fuerte de Navidad
- In summer, bus from Los Belones to the Calblanque beaches
Where to Eat
- La Marquesita, a few steps from the B&B, open Tuesday to Sunday
Services
- Central Bus Station, on Avenida Trovero Marín
- Tourist office in the Town Hall
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
B&B Hotel Cartagena Cartagonova
Why we like it: A simple chain hotel on Calle Marcos Redondo, in the centre, with buffet breakfast, free coffee at any hour and pets welcome.
Camping Caravaning La Manga
Why we like it: A large campsite on the shores of the Mar Menor and opposite Calblanque Regional Park, with pitches of 84 and 100 m², bungalows and a motorhome area, open all year.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Old town | Roman theatre, castle, museums, restaurants; everything on foot | |
| Ensanche | Hotels with parking, fifteen minutes from the port | |
| Calblanque and La Manga | Regional park beaches, campsite and Cabo de Palos |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Cartagena and Calblanque
La Marquesita
What to order: the caldero with mullet, and to start the croquettes or the Russian salad maripuri
El Mosqui Restaurant
What to order: the Cabo de Palos caldero with its alioli; in the evening it is the only rice dish they make
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Go in spring or in September. Calblanque is toured by car, the water is warm and the museums have long hours.
We'd skip it
Mondays, if it is your visiting day: most Cartagena museums close out of high season. And January and February if you want the boat: it doesn't run.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Alicante to Cartagena?
About 75 minutes by car on the motorway.
Where to sleep in Cartagena without worrying about the car?
In a hotel with a garage, such as the Sercotel Alfonso XIII, or in the centre and parking in a public car park.
Can I drive to Calblanque?
Yes, except in July, August and the last days of June between 8:00 and 20:30, when you enter by bus from Los Belones.
How much do the tickets cost?
About €30 per person for the theatre, the castle with the lift, the shelter, the boat and the ARQVA, in November 2026.