Archaeological Settlement of Carteia

Located in the municipal district of San Roque in the Bay of Algeciras, the Archaeological Settlement of Carteia was founded by the Carthaginians. They took over the commercial activities of their predecessors, the Phoenicians, who had settled here a few centuries before, in 7th century B.C., about 2 km from this settlement.

In the 3rd Century B.C. the Romans extended the city considerably, including an intense programme of monument construction. In 171 AD it became the first Latin colony outside Italy when the Senate in Rome, at the behest of the city, granted it the title of Colonia Libertinorum Carteia.

Just a few metres from Playa Guadarranque, the strategically placed Archaeological Settlement of Carteia comprises a varied and valuable heritage: a Punic wall, a Roman temple from the Republican period, a pool in the shape of a basilica, a spa building, several Roman “domus” (houses), salting factory and a large building from the reign of the Emperor Augustus. Finally, there are several late-Roman necropolises (6th century AD.), a very large Roman theatre, the Rocadillo watchtower, built for coastal surveillance in the16th century and commissioned by Philip II and a recently restored bunker from 2nd World War 20th Century, 1939-1945), which formed part of the 500 fortifications built along the Cádiz coast against possible attacks from Gibraltar.