Cartagena's Naval Museum explains why the city is still a naval town, not just an archaeological showpiece. The collections cover shipbuilding, artillery, navigation, uniforms, and the long relationship between the harbour and the Spanish navy.
The museum is especially good paired with a walk along the waterfront. It gives context to the arsenal walls and military presence that still shape the city, and it makes the port feel less like a backdrop and more like Cartagena's central fact.