April 27 Witness an enormous 'mascletá' fireworks display in Cartagena this Sunday
Enjoy a weekend of festive cheer as Valencia brings its traditional Fallas fiesta to Cartagena!
This Sunday, April 27, Cartagena city centre will be the site of a traditional Valencian ‘mascletá’ fireworks display.
A mascletá is an incredibly noisy sort of firework display that consists of a series of firecrackers (masclets) being fired off in sequence, creating a musical composition with sound. The mascletá is typical of the Fallas festival in Valencia and, unlike other fireworks displays, is more about the sound and the smoke produced rather than the visual impact of the bright colours.
This Sunday’s mascletá in Cartagena will use three times as much gunpowder as those usually set off in Valencia’s Plaza del Ayuntamiento during the Fallas.
The fireworks display takes place at 2pm in the Cuesta del Batel park and is part of the festive events scheduled for this weekend by the Valencia Provincial Council and Fallers pel món. Each year this association takes the Fallas of Valencia to a different city and this year it is Cartagena’s turn.
The mascletá on Sunday will have 350 kilos of gunpowder and will last around 7 minutes. In the last moments of the mascletá, during the final tronaera, around 8,000 masclets will be set off. In the Cuesta del Batel another mascletá will take place on Saturday April 26, at 1.15pm with 100kg of gunpowder.
In addition, another (more visually attractive) fireworks display will light up the port of Cartagena on the Nit del Foc, this Sunday at 9pm. The fireworks will be followed by the burning (cremá) of a falla statue next to the Plaza Héroes de Cavite.
Burnable fallas sculptures are large, cartoonish creations made by master falleros which typically represent satirical scenes of contemporary figures of interest, and are designed to be burned at the end of the fiestas.
The falla planted by Fallers Pel Món will be ready this Thursday April 24 and will be installed next to Héroes de Cavite. It will feature a mixture of motifs and ninots from Cartagena and Valencia.
The weekend’s festivities also include the Valencian festival of Moors and Christians, as well as the historic festivities of Cartagena, the Carthaginians and Romans. Together, they will parade through the streets of the city, and there will also be a marquee in the port with a giant paella for up to 3,000 people. Admission is free for falleros and cartageneros showing their ID card.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
Address
Punic Wall Interpretation Centre, Calle de San Diego, s/n 30202 CARTAGENATel: 968 128 955
Oficina de turismo de Cartagena
Cartagena tourism information
Where to find basic tourism information and information about historical sites and places to visit in Cartagena, Spain.
Cartagena has a wealth of historical sites, including the Roman Theatre Museum, Archaeological Museum, ARQUA Subaquatic Archaeology Museum, Panoramic lift, Civil War Air raid Shelter and Military and Naval Museums, as well as Tourist Bus and Tourist Boat which ferries visitors across to the Fuerte de Navidad.
There is one main Tourist Information Office and 2 tourist information points, the main one being in the Muralla Púnica Interpretation centre in Calle de san Diego and the other next to the Civil War Air Raid Shelter and Panoramic lift.
The office in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the easiest place to pick up a map if you've come into the port from a cruise ship, and has a few basic 
leaflets, but not a lot else.
The information point for the Puerto de Culturas attractions is by the Panoramic lift and Civil War Air Raid shelter in Calle Gisbert, although maps and leaflets are available at any of 3 information points.
There is plenty of in depth information about Cartagena in the dedicated Cartagena section, accessed via the map box at the bottom of every article page or by using the town search box at the top of the page. the introduction gives basic information about the city and then readers can select from the subjects below for information about the city, or the rest of the municipality.
Tourist Offices:
Oficina Municipal de Turismo Puertas de San José
Plaza Almirante Bastarreche s/n
Opening hours: weekdays 10.00 to 14.00 and 16.00 to 18.00, Saturdays 10.00 to 13.00.
Oficina Municipal de Turismo Muralla Púnica
Calle de San Diego, 25
30202, Cartagena
Telephone 968 52 14 27
Click for map, Tourist information office Muralla Púnica.
Opening hours.
31st July to 15th September, Monday to Sunday, 10am to 8pm
31st March to 30th June, Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm.
16th September to 4th November, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 7pm.
5th November to 30th March, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.30pm.
Punto de Informacion Turistica
This is on the side of the Palacio Consistorial in Cartagena ( The Town Hall)
Plaza del Ayuntamiento S/N
Cartagena, Spain
Tel 968 128 955
Click for map, Tourist Information point, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Cartagena
Opening hours
May to September: Monday-Saturday 10am-1.30pm and 5pm-7pm
Sunday 10.30am-1.30pm.
October to April: Monday-Saturday 10am-2pm and 4pm-6pm
Sunday 10.30am-1.30pm.
Cartagena - Punto de Información Turística Ascensor Panorámico
Calle Gisbert, 10
30202 CARTAGENA
Opening hours:
From 31st March to 30th June, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 7pm
Semana Santa, Monday to Sunday 10am to 7pm
From 16th to 30th September (Cartagineses y Romanos) Tuesday to Sunday: 10am to 7pm.
From1st October to 4th November , Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 7pm
From 5th November to 30th March, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.30pm.
From 1st July to 15th September, Monday to sunday 10am to 8pm
Click for map, Panoramic Lift, Cartagena
