The shared electric bicycle service in Cartagena has recorded nearly 3,000 trips in just its first ten days of operation, showcasing the popularity and convenience of the initiative for the residents of the Costa Calida city. The system has shown itself to be a reliable and approachable mode of transport for residents, and it also offers a more eco-friendly way for locals and visitors to get around the city. The cost for an annual subscription to use these bicycles is €295.

By the numbers: Cartagena’s electric bicycle craze

To be specific, the system has recorded more than 1,200 different users already registering with the programme, and an average of some 300 trips per day, around 4.4 kilometres per trip, and with just over one hundred operational bicycles and 29 parking points distributed in the municipality. The average user’s journey time is around 32 minutes per trip.

These numbers round out to more than 12,000 total kilometres travelled on the electric bicycles in a little over a week of their operation, a distance that is roughly equivalent to the journey between Cartagena and Tokyo.

Environmental benefits and upcoming coastal expansions: Cabo de Palos and La Manga in the sights

This initiative also represents a major leap forward for the city’s sustainability projects. Assuming the journeys would have otherwise been made by private vehicles or buses, it is estimated that approximately 1,800 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions has been avoided. That is, nearly 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide in just ten days.

Due to its popularity, the service will also continue growing in the coming weeks, with the planned expansion of the fleet to some 300 bicycles and the extension of the parking network. Additionally, the areas of Cabo de Palos and La Manga will soon be added to the system, improving connectivity and allowing visitors to get to know even more areas of the Costa Calida, and 70 additional bicycles set to be added to these areas.

Broadening horizons for residents and visitors of this vibrant city

The high usage of these electric bicycles shows a clear demand for alternatives to private vehicles and public transport options like buses and metro trains. These vehicles, which are more sustainable, more accessible, more convenient, and more fun to use for the average resident, will transform how Cartagena locals and visitors move around the city.

“This is a strategic project for Cartagena that will continue to grow, reaching more neighborhoods and offering more mobility options to residents and visitors. The initial results are very positive and encourage us to continue advancing this model of a more sustainable, modern, and connected city,” stated Cartagena’s Councillor for Mobility, Cristina Mora.

The Centro de Día de Personas Mayores de Mazarron (Elderly Residents’ Day Centre of Mazarron) recently celebrated its traditional end-of-course party, concluding months of hard work from the seniors at the centre and offering a warm welcome to the summer season. The event was a vibrant showcase of active participation, creativity, and dedication of the local senior community, and bringing together users of the centre, families, friends, and neighbours for a memorable day of connection and celebration.

Celebrating a year of creativity, crafts, and senior participation

The festivities began with the inauguration of a special exhibition that highlighted the various projects, crafts, and activities that the participants of the centre created throughout their year. The attendees of the event toured the exhibition to appreciate firsthand the incredible skill, creativity, and artistic expression showcased by the talented seniors at the centre during the different workshops.

Live performances and the announcement of an exciting future expansion

Afterward, the day transitioned into a lively festival filled with music, joy, and merrymaking. The centre’s choir provided a musical backdrop for the event, and set an energetic rhythm that invited everyone to participate. Some of the highlights of the day included traditional dances, sevillanas, live songs, musical entertainment, and of course, the fun socialisation for the friends and family of the residents. 

Apart from this celebration, the director of the Elderly Residents’ Day Centre of Mazarron, Bartolomé Madrid, revealed plans to expand the centre’s reach by opening a new location in Bolnuevo, an initiative that would bring vital social and educational services closer to elderly residents of the municipality.

Reaffirming the important role of seniors in Mazarron’s society

Ultimately, this spectacular end-of-course celebration reaffirmed the essential role that the Centro de Día plays as a cornerstone for training, coexistence, and social integration, proving that community engagement, combating senior loneliness, and lifelong learning remain as important priorities in Mazarron.

The incredible 15th edition of Cartagena’s Route of the Fortresses took place in the city on Friday, June 19, and distributed some €62,000 between more than forty charity organisations in the Region of Murcia. The event, aiming solely to support solidarity and inclusion projects of these kindhearted charities, was a massive success, and placed a specific focus on sport, socialisation, and solidarity.

Thousands of runners turn athletic sacrifice into direct charitable aid

To be specific, the Route of the Fortresses was a race which saw great participation of some 6,000 runners, transforming their support, effort, and sacrifice into tangible, direct aid for social groups and organisations in the region. Apart from its charitable heart, the race also allowed participants to compete in a special route that now has been firmly established as an important and representative race for the municipality and city.

The Route of the Fortresses: Taking runners through Cartagena’s most iconic landmarks

This route takes runners through several historic landmarks and peaks through the municipality, kicking off from the Plaza Mayor, near the port alongside the sea, and tracing a path through landmarks like the Cerro del Molinete and the Palacio Consistorial, the Castillo de la Concepción, Castillo de los Moros, the Castillo de San Julián, and leading up the mountain to Sierra Gorda, Monte Calvario, and the steep Castillo de la Atalaya. Finally, the race ends at the Escuela de Infantería de Marina General Albacete Fuster, located in Tentegorra.

Military support and a new musical anthem crown the historic finish

In addition to the athletes, officials at the awards gala also thanked the work of the volunteers who made the sporting event possible, and the more than 1,000 professionals from the Navy for their collaboration with this event.

According to Chief of Naval Personnel, Admiral Alfonso Delgado Moreno, who is also the only General Officer to have completed the race in all three of his admiral ranks, the race “embodies the core values ​​of Navy personnel, and it is an honour for all participants to face the route with the seriousness the challenge demands.” 

Finally, the musical finale for the gala was performed by the Cartagena-based group “Los Recortables ,” who played an acoustic version of “Ven a Cartagena,” their original song which, starting with this fifteenth edition, will officially become the anthem of the Route of the Fortresses.