Cartagena Roman Theatre

Cartagena was founded by the Carthaginians as Qart Hadasht and taken by Rome in 209 BC, becoming a major port, and a theatre seating around six thousand was built there between 5 and 1 BC and dedicated to Augustus's grandsons. Its axis points to the sunrise at the winter solstice. It went out of use in the third century, was built over by a market, then a Byzantine quarter, then a cathedral, and by the twentieth century was completely lost under a dense block of housing. It was found in 1988 during work on a cultural centre and excavated over the following fifteen years, with the buildings above removed. Rafael Moneo designed the museum and access route, which runs from a palace on the harbour front through an underground passage and emerges at the theatre.

What to look for

• The excavated theatre - a six-thousand-seat auditorium restored to its cavea.
• The Moneo route - an underground passage from the harbour to the site.
• The layered history - traces of market, Byzantine quarter and cathedral above.
• The museum - finds from the excavation and the theatre's story.

When to go

March to June and September to November; Cartagena is hot in summer and the theatre is unshaded. It closes on Mondays. The city's Roman Festival in September brings costumed events across the old town.

Before you go

The seating tiers are substantially restored rather than original, using recovered and new stone. The site is exposed with no shade. Access is only through the museum, so the ticket is required to see it properly.

Nearby

The Roman forum quarter and the naval museum are in the city; La Manga and the Mar Menor lie north.

Key facts