Cartagena - Ancient City of Spain

Not to be confused with the city of the same name in Columbia, South America, the Spanish city of Cartagena is located in the Murcia region on a stretch of coastline known as the Costa Calida (“Warm Coast”). Cartagena has a long and interesting history which goes back to the times of the Punic Wars between the Carthaginians and the Romans. The first settlement there was by the Iberians and called Mastia, upon this early settlement the first real town was built by the Carthaginian General Hasdrubal in 223 BC, making us of a natural deepwater harbour. The Carthaginians named the town Quart Hadas (New City) and it later became an important base for the famous Hannibal (of elephant fame), during his exploits in Spain and beyond. After the defeat of the Cathaginians by the Romans it was re-named Carthago Novo (New Carthage) and was developed as a significant mining area. Cartagena still has some remains from these early days including the Augusteum and the Punic Ramparts. Cartagena fell into decline during the Middle Ages but made a brief recovery during the 18^th century when it became an important naval base. The collapse of the mining industry caused further depression in Cartagena in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, though the city is undergoing renewed recovery as it eases itself into the 21^st century. Places of interest to see in the city include Cartagena port, where you will find one of the world’s first submarines, the Castillo de la Conceptión, the Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine Wall, the Maritime Museum and the Casa Cervantes (Cala Mayor) amongst others. The area benefits from a superb climate and Cartagena weather is sunny and dry for over 300 days each year so do not expect rain during your visit to the city. If you would like to view a location map for the ciry of Cartagena you can visit this link: Cartagena Map

The Canary Islands – Early History

One of the most popular winter holiday destinations for Europeans seeking some off peak sunshine is the Spanish Canary Islands, an archipelago of islands and islets located off the north-east coast of Africa. The Canary Islands have a long and interesting past and Canary Islands history is fascinating to discover. First settled some 5,000 years ago the earliest true civilisation occurred during the second century BC when a tribal culture known as the Guanches lived in caves and built primitive villages. The Guanches were still in occupation when the Romans arrived in 40 BC, as Juba II explored the region which was then called the Fortunate Islands. The present name was probably derived from the breed of dogs which lived on the islands and met the Roman explorers, they were large and fierce and no doubt left an impression on the arrivals. The islands, to all intents and purposes, disappeared from the map for over 1,000 years after the fall of the Roman Empire and were not set foot on again until the beginning of the 14th century when a Genoese captain called Lazarotto Malocello bumped into the island later named after him (Lanzarote) and took the news of its existence back to Europe. Later expeditions led to the eventual invasion by a small force under Jean de Bethencourt, he landed on Lanzarote and built a fort on Fuerteventura before running out of provisions and heading for the Spanish mainland to muster additional support from the Castillians.