The sunniest city in Europe with few tourists that's just a £50 flight from the UK

View from above of the stunning port city's Fatares beach (Image: Getty)

A stunning Spanish port city is scorchingly hot during the summer months, lesser known among tourists, and you could get a flight there for less than £50. Cartagena, a port city in the Murcia region of the country's southeast, is a haven for sunseekers. A study from holiday rental platform Holidu, analysing data from World Weather Online, suggests it enjoys an average of 283 hours of sun per month - almost 12 whole days of sunshine, making it Europe's sunniest city.

According to the study, the mercury can rise as high as 29C in July and August. The city, which has a rich naval history, is home to several superb beaches, with top-rated spots including Playa de Calblanque, Cala Cortina, Playa el Portus, Cala Cerrada, and Playas de La Azohia. TripAdvisor ranked them by user reviews. 

But when you've had your fill of soaking up the sunbeams with a cool drink, there's also a wealth of culture and impressive architecture to immerse yourself in.

The port city's grand Roman Theatre (Image: Getty)

The port of Cartagena (Image: Getty)

A highlight is the city's Roman Theatre, which was unearthed in the 1980s and is thought to date back to the 1st century BC.

Remarkably well preserved, its masterfully crafted stairs and stage showcase the ingenuity of ancient Rome, and look out upon the city's bustling streets.

History buffs are can also take in Torre Ciega, an ancient monument that is all that remains of a Roman necropolis that lay beside the route from Carthago Nova to Tarragona.

If you're looking for a good spot to take in views of the metropolis, there's also an imposing medieval castle, Castillo de la Concepción which is sat on a hill in the centre of the city.

Aerial view of Portús, Cartagena (Image: Getty)

Cartagena is still home to a naval base, and has a long and storied maritime history. 

If you're looking to find out more, Cartagena's Naval Museum walks visitors through its history as a maritime power, and you can learn about everything from notable shipwrecks to Spanish victories at sea.

Walking through the port city its easy to see why despite being a city, it was named the “best Spanish seaside town for history” in a recent survey by Which? Travel.

Travel blogger Tom O'Hara wrote on his website Not There that the city is also "one of southern Spain’s less celebrated cities; it’s much more likely that you’ve heard of its namesake on the Caribbean coast of Colombia," despite its rich heritage.

And perhaps best of all, it's reasonably affordable for British travellers. Murcia is the nearest airport and return flights can be found  for less than £50 on Skycanner currently.

The journey from the airport to the city is just 45 minutes by bus, or 27 minutes by car, as per Rome2Rio.