The city of Cartagena will become the Spanish stopover for The Ocean Race Europe late next summer, along with shoreside activities in the Port of Cartagena focussed on ocean health.
Located in the Region of Murcia in southeastern Spain, Cartagena is a port city open to the Mediterranean Sea through a wide bay. Its entrance is guarded by a series of castles and coastal batteries that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Cartagena has been the scene of some of the most fascinating moments in European history. One of its greatest monuments is the Roman Theatre, built at the end of the first century BC in the time of Emperor Augustus. With a capacity for 6,000 spectators, it has been completely restored and is a jewel in the city.
Today, with its privileged location on the Costa Cálida, which includes 250km of Mediterranean microclimate, the city is a reference for water sports, offers breathtaking natural environments for sailing, beaches and culture, and its rich seabed has made it a favourite destination for scuba diving in Spain, including the protected marine reserves of Cabo de Palos and Islas Hormigas near the city.
Cartagena is located 30km from the Manga del Mar Menor, which includes the Mar Menor coastal lagoon, the first ecosystem in the European Union to have designated rights, just like individuals or companies, and which serves as an example of what could be a powerful tool to address the many challenges facing our seas.
The coasts of Cartagena also have large posidonia meadows as well as coral colonies that form the habitat of numerous plant and animal species. Also, vestiges of other eras can be found, from Roman shipwrecks to ships sunk during the Spanish Civil War.
The Port of Cartagena is the fourth Spanish port in volume of goods, a leader in imports and foreign trade, and ranked in the top 10 ports in cruise traffic in the Spanish port system. It is considered one of the most sustainable ports in the Mediterranean, both for the quality of its waters, for its port-city integration model and for being a unique port for its marine and land species.
This second edition of The Ocean Race Europe — following the inaugural race in 2021 — will be held under the theme “Connecting Europe” on a route starting on 10 August 2025 from Kiel, Germany in the Baltic Sea, passing through the North Sea and the English Channel, to the Atlantic Ocean before finishing in the Mediterranean, with up to five stops, including Genoa in Italy.
With this announcement, Cartagena becomes the third Spanish city to partner with The Ocean Race. Barcelona is the finish port for The Ocean Atlantic in 2026 and the city of Alicante (Valencian Community) which has been the start port and global headquarters of the round-the-world race since 2008, will host the start of the next global event in January 2027.
