usefulinfo2

Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

Useful Visitor Information

Language

If you don’t speak Spanish remember that it is the world’s third most popular language after Mandarin Chinese and English. It seems sometimes as if almost everyone in Cartagena is making efforts to learn English. So, be patient. Cartagena people are extremely friendly and outgoing and will do their best to help you, unlike residents of a certain neighbouring nation to the north. An attempt to speak Spanish is greatly appreciated even if you know very well that your accent is hopeless.

Many people have spent years and years learning English but have seldom had an opportunity to practice it. Not surprisingly, they are a little confused when confronted with native speakers. In an elegant local cafe, I recently heard a barman asked: “Oi, mate. ‘ave you got change for the fag machine?”

In Cartagena, they speak proper, Castilian, Spanish. After all, the Castilians took over the city in 1245. In other coastal areas obscure dialects are spoken that can be very confusing. Language is an emotive and dangerous subject and it has been pointed out that the difference between definitions of a type of speech as a “language” or a “dialect” entirely depends on the possession of an army.

Be careful of making a comment in English assuming that no-one around you knows what you are talking about. Very often then do, although they will be far too polite to comment.

The local police have been taking extra classes recently in English so that they can help tourists with enquiries.

Tourist Information

There are two bodies involved in tourism in Cartagena. The first is the Tourism Office of the Town Hall, or Oficina Municipal de Turismo. The main office can be found in the old city walls at the Puertas de San José, at Plaza Almirante Bastarreche. Most first time visitors, however, will probably find their way to the tourist booth beneath the city walls at the waterfront and the magnificent restored town hall, on Paseo Alfonso XII.

The tourism office telephone number is 968 506 483, the website is www.cartagena.es, and the email address is infoturismo@ayto-cartagena.es.

The other tourism organisation is the Puerto De Culturas organisation, which operates and manages many of the fascinating historical and cultural attractions of the city, such as the Punic Walls, the tourist bus, the tourist boat, the Civil War air raid shelters, a huge outdoor passenger elevator and the underground remains of a Roman villa.

The Puerto De Culturas telephone number is 968 529 298, the website is www.puertoculturas.com, and the email address is www.puertoculturas.com

There are several deals, which include discounted entry prices, such as Cartagena Port of Cultures, A Trip Through History, Ancient Cartagena, and Modernist Cartagena.

A question of time

A problem that visitors used to full-day exploring encounter in Cartagena is that many things close down during the afternoon while the local population eats lunch and takes a break. Don’t plan on being able to do too much between about 2pm and 4pm. Sometimes it seems as if you could fire a cannonball down the main streets and not hit anyone during this time. But things open up again from about 4pm onwards and the evening is a great time for strolling around. Plan your day slightly differently and don’t eat lunch at 12.30pm – use the time for exploring. Then lunch after 2pm, like the locals do, when things may be closed. Also remember that, like many other places in Europe, cultural facilities are usually closed on Mondays so that staff can take a rest. The plus side is that they are generally open on Sundays. Of course, the shops are open as usual on Mondays. Cartagena people usually eat late, very late by north European standards. “I love to see foreigners eating paella at 7.30 in the afternoon,” said one local.

There is also the August problem. A surprising number of cafes and other businesses think it’s a great idea to close down for August just when the city is crammed with summer visitors wondering why so many things are shut. Just remember, that those who follow a Mediterranean lifestyle live much longer than other people.

Elsewhere on this site there is a table of opening times. However, these do change, particularly at the start of the summer and winter seasons.

Car parking

The question of parking in Cartagena drives residents to distraction. There are lots of lovely flats without any parking. So, like so many cities around the world, parking is an emotive subject. In fact, for the visitor, there is no problem. Just drive down to the waterfront where there is a huge car park beneath the promenade. I have never, ever, seen it full up. Of course, you have to pay, but the charges are reasonable and you are right in the heart of the ancient city with everything just a short stroll away. Look for the submarine on display and the car park entrances, off the Paseo de Alfonso XII, are along there. One is next to a Burger King – just ignore it and head for the great open air cafes where you can enjoy a coffee, a drink and tapas while sitting in the sunshine and admiring the boats and the palm trees.

Consumer organisations have fought long and hard in the region to have per-minute charging made mandatory. Formerly, it you went one minute into another hour you had to pay for a whole additional 60 minutes.

Now charges at the waterfront car park are as follows: 1-300 minutes, 0.22 cents per minute; 301-720 minutes, 0.02 per minute; 721-1440 minutes, no charge. Maximum charge 15 Euros. Lost ticket charge 15 Euros.

Tipping

Tipping isn’t really a big deal in Cartagena, although waiters and bar staff appreciate some coins being left. Certainly, you won’t have any of the nonsense that you get in the United States where you have to tip someone if you cross the street.

Smoking

Since January 1, 2006, smoking has been banned in many public places. It is still permitted in bars and cafes under a certain size, if the owner chooses to allow it. Larger places have to either ban it completely, or provide a completely self-contained area for smokers, which is expensive. So, small bars have tended to let people carry on smoking and larger places, which can’t afford to install costly smoking areas, have had to ban it. As a result, the former are usually crowded and the latter are not. Signs indicate whether smoking is permitted or banned. Oddly, the price of cigarettes dropped considerably after the ban was introduced. The Spanish introduced tobacco to Europe and it may be some time before a smoke-filled lifestyle is extinguished.

Emergencies

The telephone number to ring in an emergency is 112.

Cartagena has good hospitals with full accident and emergency facilities. The big Rossell hospital is next to the Carrefour supermarket, in Paseo de Alfonso XIII. Make sure that you have the correct documents from your home country showing that you have entitlement to reciprocal medical treatment under your national health scheme. Language could cause difficulties but the medical standards are very high. Private medical treatment is available at the Virgin De Caridad Centro Medico hospital, in Calle Navarro, which says “we have interpreters.” Telephone 968 506 666 or 968 510 022. See www.cmucaridad.com. Obviously, you are going to have to pay here.

A point worth mentioning is that you will have to pay for ambulance transport, which is a commercial business, just like taxis, with several firms in the market.

There are three types of police that you may see, the Policia Local, which operates in urban areas, the Guardia Civil, which operates in surrounding rural areas and which patrols the motorways, and the Policia Nacional, which has wide-ranging responsibilities. Be very, very, careful about drinking and driving as failing a breath test can have serious consequences. More and more radar speed traps are being installed.

Crime is no worse in Cartagena than it is anywhere else and considerably less of a problem than many places. Do exercise the usual caution however. Be particularly careful of schemes that distract your attention while things are stolen, often from your car. These can involve fake accidents and requests to help with maps. If people in a car point to your tyres indicating there is a problem, keep driving. Don’t let your guard drop just because someone is smartly dressed and speaks English. Don’t leave bags hanging on the backs of chairs in cafes, particularly if you are sitting outside.

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