Enclave Arqueológico de Carteia
Archaeological site of the first Latin colony outside Italy, on the Bay of Algeciras, with a temple, baths, a salting factory and a museumised bunker.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Carteia, at the mouth of the Guadarranque river in the Bay of Algeciras, was founded by the Phoenicians in the 4th century BC on a promontory with good control of the Strait of Gibraltar. After the Punic Wars the Romans enlarged the city and gave it a monumental character. In 171 BC it received the title Colonia Libertinorum Carteia, the first Latin colony outside Italy, granted by the Senate to the children of Roman soldiers and Hispanic women.
From the 6th century AD the Visigoths settled there, using the area as a cemetery around the temple, and from the early 8th century the zone was the gateway for the conquest of al-Andalus. At the end of the 16th century the Rocadillo tower, a coastal watchtower of the defences ordered by Philip II, was built on the remains of the Roman wall.
The guided tour covers the Punic wall, the Republican temple of the 2nd century BC, a large building from the Augustan period with a monumental staircase, the thermal baths, Roman houses (domus) with stretches of street, the salting factory and the tower. One of the Second World War bunkers of the Campo de Gibraltar Defence Plan can also be visited; it has been turned into a museum with recreated firing rooms and a room evoking postwar Spanish society. The site has been a Bien de Interés Cultural (Cultural Heritage Site) since 1968 and is managed by the Junta de Andalucía.
Highlights
- Punic wall and Republican temple of the 2nd century BC
- Thermal building with palaestra, Roman houses and paved streets
- Salting factory dedicated to the production of garum
- Rocadillo tower, a 16th-century coastal watchtower
- Museumised Second World War bunker, the first of its kind in Andalusia
- Free admission with guided visit
Permanent exhibitions
- Recorrido arqueológico por Carteia – Guided tour of the Punic wall, the Republican temple, the baths, the domus, the salting factory and the Rocadillo tower.
- Búnker de la Segunda Guerra Mundial – Three-room museumised machine-gun nest, with a recreated firing room and another devoted to everyday life in the postwar period.
- Operated by
- Junta de Andalucía (Agencia Andaluza de Instituciones Culturales)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Entry with animals is not allowed, except assistance dogs for people with disabilities.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Take exits 115, 116 and 117 of the N-340 in the direction of Guadarranque. Address: Avenida del Puerto, s/n, Guadarranque.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Taking photographs and recordings at the sites of the Junta de Andalucía requires prior authorisation. |
| Good to know | All visits are guided; independent visits are not permitted. Groups of up to 25 people. Advance booking by email (carteia.aaiicc@juntadeandalucia.es) is required, and punctuality is requested. The Roman theatre is not on the usual route, but it can be seen on extraordinary visits. |
