At the southern end of a headland defining Cartagena Bay is Punta de la Podadera. This promontory, with an elevation of 115 feet, was selected for the Battery of San Juan de la Podadera. The initial coastal battery became operational with four guns in 1686. The defense was strengthened two centuries later as part of Cartagena’s widespread Defense Plan of 1860. In 1883, La Podadera was equipped with two, Krupp 260 mm guns. The artillery was capable of reaching an enemy ship 7.5 miles away. The military facility was decommissioned in 1940 after the end of the Spanish Civil War.
