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Date Published: 08/08/2022

ARCHIVED - Plans get underway to turn the Fajardo gun battery in Cartagena into a hotel

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The Ministry of Defence is open to repurposing the Cartagena landmark to attract more tourists

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Plans get underway to turn the Fajardo gun battery in Cartagena into a hotel

The proposal made in February by Cartagena’s mayor, Noelia Arroyo, to set up a national parador (a government-operated hotel) in the disused Fajardo military battery is beginning to take shape.

The mayor revealed over the weekend that she hopes to convert the abandoned building into the first franchised accommodation run by the Paradores brand in Spain, and the second in the world. She confirmed that “there are several Cartagena investors interested" in reaching an agreement with the Ministry of Defence, which owns the battery, to rehabilitate this Asset of Cultural Interest and create a new tourist attraction.

Currently, the state chain Paradores runs a hotel of this kind in just one other location, the Casa de Ínsua in Portugal.

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Although official sources from Paradores claim that "there is no record" of their involvement in the project, the Secretary of State for Tourism is adamant that the formula “is viable” and that plans are steaming ahead.

It is by no means a short-term undertaking, however, and its success will largely depend on continued collaboration between the different bodies involved. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Defence is now open to investing in the creation of more tourist accommodations, “not only in Fajardo, but also in the Galeras castle and the La Podadera battery, either as part of the same project or in a different one”.

According to the mayor, while the Santa Florentina and San Leandro batteries on the other side of the bay have restaurants and are frequently used for large events, at the moment there is no provision there for overnight stays.

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Image: Archive

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