The Sacred Flame of the 2023 Carthagineses y Romanos Cartagena fiestas arrives from Mazarron

The Iter Ignis event marked the start of the Cartagena festivities in Puerto de Mazarrón

The Iter Ignis event which was held in Puerto de Mazarrón on Friday marked the beginning of the 2023 Carthagineses y Romanos of Cartagena, as the sacred flame was lit and carried in relay by runners who took it all the way to the centre of Cartagena.

The event took place at the Mirador de Bahía and the route then passed the beaches of El Alamillo and Cala Negra, continuing to the mountain pass of Valdelentisco, Tallante, Los Puertos de Santa Bárbara, Cuesta Blanca and Molinos Marfagones.

Attending the ceremony in Puerto de Mazarrón were local celebrities including David and Chiky Ardil, who recently won medals at the Spanish beach football championships, Chemi Olvier, who plays for the Jimbee Cartagena 5-a-side football team and various local charity leaders.

The Mayor took the opportunity not only to thank the authorities in Cartagena for bestowing on Mazarrón this prestigious event, but also to highlight the historic site which had been chosen: “this is an emblematic location for the culture of Mazarrón, where the Mares de Papel festival is held; close by we have the foundry which dates back to Phoenician times, next to the island is the Phoenician boat and it is possible to make out an Argaric settlement from 5,000 years ago”.

The Mayor and Councillor Jorge Durán later attended the opening speeches of the fiestas in Cartagena, accompanying the dignitaries during the first parade of the fiestas.

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