How to Spend a Rainy October Day at Cartagena's ARQUA Museum

Rain in the Mar Menor area comes down hard and then it's gone, but October has the odd grey day when the sky settles in and the golf bag stays in the boot. My answer to that is always the same: drive to Cartagena and spend the morning underground, or as near as makes no difference, at ARQUA, the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology.

It sits on the waterfront by the port, and it's the best wet-weather outing within 45 minutes of Roda. Here's how I'd plan the day.

Get there early and park near the port

From Los Alcázares, allow around 40 minutes by road, a touch longer if the rain has slowed the dual carriageway. Aim to arrive close to opening time. October weekends fill with cruise passengers and Murcian families all having the same idea as you.

The easiest option is one of the underground car parks near the harbour, which keeps you dry most of the way to the door. Street parking along the front is a gamble in the rain, and you don't want to be circling with the wipers on full.

Check the opening days and times on the museum's official page before you set off. Spanish museums often close on Mondays and shut for part of the afternoon, and it's a miserable drive home if you've got it wrong.

Start with the Phoenician boats

The building itself is a low, modern block of concrete and glass, and the layout draws you down through the galleries towards the sea floor. Go straight to the Phoenician shipwrecks from Mazarrón, the real prize of the collection. These hulls were found off the Murcian coast and are roughly 2,600 years old.

Take your time here. You're looking at actual timber that carried cargo along the same coast you drive past every week. A great deal of the museum's work is about conservation, and you'll see how long it takes to stabilise waterlogged wood. It puts a dull afternoon of Spanish bureaucracy into perspective.

The Roman material is also well done. Stacks of amphorae, anchors and lead ingots show how much trade moved through Cartagena, which the Romans called Carthago Nova. If you've got children with you, the reconstructed sections of ships and the hands-on displays hold their attention far better than a row of glass cases.

Eat lunch in the old town while it pours

By midday you'll want food. Walk up into the old centre, where the streets around Calle Mayor are full of small places doing a proper menú del día. Pick somewhere busy with locals at the tables, not tourists reading laminated menus. Two courses, a drink and bread should come in at a very reasonable price.

If the weather turns properly nasty, the covered Santa Florentina market is a good bolt-hole for a coffee and a look at the fish stalls. Cartagena does a lovely café asiático, a strong coffee with condensed milk, brandy and a hint of cinnamon. It's not subtle, but it's warming on a damp day.

For a lighter choice, order a few tapas and share. That's usually the better plan after a morning on your feet. You can read more about what the wider area around Roda Golf offers if you're planning other days out.

Fill the afternoon with a second indoor stop

You'll have a decent chunk of the day left, and Cartagena makes it easy. The Roman Theatre Museum is a short walk away and mostly covered, with a walkway that brings you out into the ruins themselves. If the rain eases, it's worth it. If it doesn't, the museum rooms are good enough on their own.

The Naval Museum is another solid option close to the water, especially for anyone who likes submarines and ship models. Peral's early submarine is the headline, and it's a story every Spaniard in the city knows.

Then drive home through the grey, and make a note to bring a decent waterproof next time. If a day like this has you thinking you'd like more of it, our holiday rentals near Roda Golf make a comfortable base for an autumn stay. And when the sun returns, which it nearly always does within a day or two, the golf courses at Roda are waiting, a little greener for the rain.

For more ideas on filling the gaps between rounds, have a look at our sightseeing guides.