The panoramic lift in Cartagena, great views of the city and the port alongside the Castillo de la Concepción
Superb panoramic photos of Cartagena, a historic park and a local history museum in the castle
The panoramic lift in Cartagena is by far the most practical way to reach the highest point in the city, where the 13th and 14th century fortress of the Castillo de la Concepción stands, and offers fabulous views right around the city and across the port.
This hill is one of the five which dominated the landscape over 2,000 years ago in the Carthaginian settlement of Qart-Hadast and the subsequent Roman city of Carthago Nova, the precursors of Cartagena in the centuries before and after the birth of Christ. The hills provided protection and shelter for the important port and the city, which was then located on an isthmus almost completely surrounded by the sea and in inland lagoon. Today it is home to the Parque Torres, which provides shady seating areas throughout the year and is a popular place to stroll for families and visitors, and the remains of the fortress, now converted into a museum devoted to the history of Cartagena.
The Greek historian Polybius reports that the Romans built a temple on the hill to the deity Asclepius, the god of health and medicine, and in the 12th century the Moors built a fortification: this was replaced by another fortification following the Christian Reconquista of what is now the Region of Murcia in 1243.
By the 19th century the castle’s ancient water tanks were being used as a prison, and even as late as the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s air raid warning sirens were located here, but now the area is devoted to leisure and sightseeing, and the addition of the panoramic lift in 2004 made it accessible to almost everyone.
(Click here for more information about the 3,000-year history of Cartagena.)
Just beneath the castle the Parque Torres extends down to a good viewing point looking towards the port – an ideal place from which to photograph your ship if you are visiting during a Mediterranean cruise! - and the park is also adorned with peacocks, ducks and extremely photogenic cannon, serving as a reminder of the military importance of the hill in the past.
This park then links down to another, giving superb views of the Roman Theatre from above, and from here steps lead down behind the theatre to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the entrance to the Roman Theatre and the seafront.
Location and visiting advice
Entry to the panoramic lift is on Calle Gisbert, just a short walk up from the seafront. The nearest paying parking is on the seafront close to the marina but it is usually possible to find free parking either at the UPCT university campus on the right-hand side of Calle Gisbert as you make your way up from the front, or at the bottom end of the street on Calle Pez.
Just a few metres from the foot of the lift is the Civil War Air Raid Shelter museum, providing insights into the hardship and destruction in the city during the conflict between 1936 and 1939.
If your intention is to visit the museum display in the Castillo de la Concepción admission tickets can be purchased in combination with those for the lift.
Accessibility
The lift is fully accessible for those of limited mobility, as are the ramps and walkways at the top. Obviously, though, visitors’ enjoyment of the parks and gardens at the top will depend to a degree on their ability to move around them.
Note: the maximum capacity of the lift is stated at 8 people and 1 wheelchair.
It is not possible for wheelchairs to complete the descent to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
As for the lift itself, the only condition which might make it a daunting prospect is vertigo!
There is also a small tourist information point at the foot of the lift where free leaflets are handed out to those interested in learning more about what to see in Cartagena.
Ticket price
Tickets for the panoramic lift only are priced at 2 euros while a ticket for the lift and entry to the Castillo de la Concepción costs 4.25 euros.
Reduced prices for online bookings, under 12s, students, pensioners, groups of over 20 and others: 1 euro for the lift only, 3.25 euros including entry to the Castillo de la Concepción.
Children aged 3 or under are admitted free of charge.
Opening times
High season (1st July to 15th September): every day of the week from 10.00 to 20.00.
Mid-season (15th March to 30th June and 16th September to 1st November): Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 to 19.00 and every day of the week during Semana Santa.
Low season (2nd November to 14th March): Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 to 17.30.
The lift is closed on 1st and 6th January and 25th December and opens only in the morning on 5th January and 24th and 31st December.
For full information in English about the Cartagena municipality CLICK HERE
For full information about places to visit in Cartagena city CLICK HERE
