Portman

Just before Cartagena, you can go to Portman, which is actually a fishing village down on the Mediterranean coast. You get to the village from two directions on winding roads. Just before the village you can walk on the Calzada Romana Monte Cenizas which is part of a Roman road, walk around the Batería de Cenizas (old cannons) or swim at Playa Gorguel. The hiking part is a nice excursion alongside the bathing seasons.

Calzada Romana Monte Cenizas

This is a semi-messy cobblestone path that is 1,400 meters long after walking uphill approx. 750 meters. Proper shoes are recommended. Very lively and exciting nature leading up to Batería de Cenizas.

Batería de Cenizas

When it opens up, you come to the coastal batteries of Monte de las Ceniza, which date from the 1930s. Mainly, there are two Vickers cannons that could launch eight hundred kilo shells each, almost twenty nautical miles into the sea - so almost 4 miles. Some construction remains.

Playa Gorguel

Playa Gorguel belongs to the municipality of Cartagena in the province of Murcia in Murcia. The beach is 500 meters long and 110 meters wide and a bit strange as the sand is almost black - in any case very dark. The water is often fresh and you park in the car park at the first bar – the second is on the other side of the bay. It is a fairly isolated area so there are usually not that many people.

Text & image: Måns Löfgren, SkyBlueMedia