ARQUA — National Museum of Underwater Archaeology

The Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática (ARQUA) in Cartagena is Spain's only national museum dedicated to underwater and maritime archaeology, housed in a contemporary waterfront building on Paseo Alfonso XII close to the city's historic port. The museum documents the extraordinary richness of the western Mediterranean seabed, with particular focus on the waters off the Murcia coast — one of the most archaeologically dense marine zones in Europe, where centuries of maritime trade between Carthage, Rome, and the Iberian Peninsula left an exceptional record of shipwrecks and cargo. The permanent collection begins with Bronze Age finds and builds through Phoenicio-Punic, Greek, and Roman maritime periods. The centrepiece is a comprehensive presentation of the El Sec shipwreck (4th century BCE), one of the most significant Punic maritime discoveries in the western Mediterranean, whose cargo of Attic red-figure ceramics and amphorae rewrote understanding of ancient trade networks. Alongside it, large assemblages of Roman amphora stacks reconstructed from multiple wrecks give a visceral sense of the scale of ancient cargo shipping. A substantial section of the museum explains the methods of underwater archaeological survey, sediment excavation, and laboratory conservation, with hands-on displays that engage both specialists and general visitors. The building's architecture — featuring a reflecting pool that suggests submersion — is a considered part of the visitor experience. Entry is just €3 for adults and free for visitors under 18, making ARQUA one of the most affordable national museums in Spain. A visit of 1.5 to 2 hours covers the main permanent galleries. The museum's on-site research archive is used by maritime archaeologists from across Europe.