The city of Cartagena will become the Spanish stopover for The Ocean Race Europe, an event that will bring the most innovative and exciting fleet of ocean racing IMOCA boats to this historic Mediterranean port 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.

 

With an incredible past spanning more than 3,000 years of history, Cartagena has been the scene of some of the most fascinating moments in Europe. One of its greatest monuments is the Roman Theater, built at the end of the 1st century B.C. 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 250 km of Mediterranean microclimate, the city is a reference for water sports, offers breathtaking natural environments for sailing, beaches, 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 30 km 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, leader in imports, 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. The Port of Cartagena has become a high-value area for terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and has successfully carried out the reforestation of posidonia meadows.

 

This second edition of The Ocean Race Europe - following the inaugural edition in 2021 - will be held under the theme “Connecting Europe” on a route starting on August 10, 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 Genova, Italy.

 

“For Cartagena this is a great opportunity to be the only Spanish stopover for a major international event that unites sport and the sea and will project the image of the city as a major tourist capital in the Mediterranean,” said the Mayor of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo.

 

“The sea brought to these shores the Carthaginians who founded the city, the Romans who built our great monuments and it was the sea that turned us into a naval base protected by one of the largest defensive complexes in the Mediterranean. This dramatic backdrop will host the most prestigious offshore racing fleet in the world,” she added.

 

The stopover enjoys strong support from the Port Authority of Catagena and the Region of Murcia.

 

“The fact that The Ocean Race has chosen the Region of Murcia and, specifically, Cartagena, as the Spanish stopover is a source of pride for all of us and a clear sign of the growing importance of this destination for both tourism and for hosting sporting competitions,” said the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras. “We will enjoy an event that will be focussed on the Region of Murcia and will also serve to position Cartagena as a real tourist capital, with a wide range of cultural, historical and, of course, sporting events”.

 

The Region of Murcia is a leader in the percentage of water reuse (as high as 98%), which makes it a water bulwark against drought and contributes to the fact that, with only 3% of Spain's water, the regional agricultural sector is capable of producing 25% of the fruit and vegetables exported.

 

Phil Lawrence, Race Director of The Ocean Race, stressed that the relationship with Cartagena is focused on promoting sailing among young people and protecting the health of the sea through increased ocean literacy: “The Ocean Race Europe is an epic adventure in which the best teams harness the power of the wind to race from the Baltic Sea through the North Atlantic Ocean and into the Mediterranean Sea. The ocean is our race course and our sailors are direct witnesses to its deterioration and engaged in initiatives to restore its health. During The Ocean Race Europe, we will work together with Cartagena, to raise awareness of how vital ocean health is to our planet through our award-winning learning program. We will collaborate with schools in the region to bring the intensity and excitement of the sport of sailing closer to youth and race fans and use the power of sport to help create new ambassadors for marine protection.”

 

On the race course, the IMOCA fleet will offer fans unprecedented action. The latest generation of boats features advances in design and engineering to increase speed as the boats lift up out of the water on hydrofoils, and the sailors participating are the best in the world along with being engaging ocean advocates. The format of the race, with short legs between European cities, promotes intense and close competition. Racing will start from Kiel, Germany on 10 August, 2025.

 

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 around the world race in January 2027.

Image: The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 15 January 2023, Leg 1, Start Day onboard Team Malizia.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia / The Ocean Race