September 27 – October 2, 2023 — With a full moon and calm seas we had a smooth overnight trip to Cartagena on the southeast coast of mainland Spain. Again we moved in a weather window with strong winds forecast for the following five days. We stopped in Cartagena back in 2014 as we first arrived in the Med and were working our way up to Barcelona. It makes a great layover with a very weather protected marina, wonderful architecture, excellent museums and long history. It has been inhabited for over 2,000 years Much of Cartagena historical significance stems from its major defensive port, one of the most important in the western Med. It has been the capital of the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Department of the Mediterranean since the 18th century. It is also a major cruise ship destination.
Cartagena’s archaeological sites include Roman ruins, a Roman theater in the round, and remnants of a 1st century amphitheater. The two archaeological museums house remains from buildings that have been destroyed. More current, City Hall is a spectacular eclectic modernist building that adds a touch of elegance to the old town. As we wandered the narrow maze of streets in the old town, Bob found his new favorite coffee shop – Coffee Lab, with not only great designer coffees, but creative design for the interior of the shop. Lighting includes a collection of Italian expresso pots made into hanging lights.
The marina in Cartagena has a very friendly staff, is well located right in the city, and has a large winter live aboard community. In addition, their rates are very reasonable. We left thinking it would be a great spot to return to if we needed a stopover spot heading back north from Morocco to Barcelona. A challenge in the southeastern and southern part of Spain is the geography. There are very few anchorages that are weather protected and we are too large for the few marinas that exist in that region.
Following another two nights at sea we arrived in LaLinea, Spain, about 500 yards from Gibraltar. Over the next four days we walked back and forth from Gibraltar, getting our passport stamped at the border in each direction, and enjoyed operating in an English country for a bit. Gibraltar has changed since we sailed into there in 2014 with construction cranes plentiful and many new, high rise buildings. It may be good for the country, but it is reducing some of the charm of the area. Talking with some locals they depend on tourism for the economy but are disappointed in the changes to the city. We skipped visiting the Barbary apes and Rock tunnels as we had done both in 2014. The Gibraltar National Museum is small but excellent, enough so that we went back a second time after running up against closing time the first day. We recommend it.
Laundry done, provisioning updated, and boat clean, we were now ready to head to Morocco. We had been planning this destination for ten years.