Attractions in Merida
- The national museum of Roman art
- The roman theater
- The Roman amphitheater and the maximum circus
- The roman bridge
- Temples of Diana and Mars
- The aqueducts
- The citadel
- Tapas!
The capital of Extremadura, Mérida, was one of the most famous Roman capitals on the Iberian Peninsula and features some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Europe.
Extremadura was considered the traditional boundary between Arab and Christian Spain. Merida itself passed between Christian, Arab and even Portuguese control. It is a fabulous place to walk. Like Rome (only much smaller!), Archeology appears in the strangest corners, and the Moorish influence adds a grace of its own to the city.
Arriving in Merida
Trains: the RENFE station in Mérida is located on Cardero street. There are four trains to and from Cáceres (travel time: 1 hour), five trains to and from Madrid (4.5-6 hours, 18.45-27 euros one way), one to and from Seville (3 hours), and seven to and from Badajoz (1 hour)
Bus: the station is on Avenida de la Libertad, near the train station. There are fewer buses to Madrid, but the connections to Seville (6-8 buses per day) are much better.
Car: The NV superhighway passes through Mérida from Madrid or Lisbon.
Eating in Merida
As in other cities in Spain, lunch and dinner are served very late. Restaurants don’t even think about serving dinner before 9 p.m. Your best option, unless it is already on the Spanish schedule, is to go to a tapas bar; most open around noon or so.
Tapas are small plates as appetizers that you can eat standing up in a bar. In order to satisfy your hunger between meals, you can spend an interesting evening going from bar to bar, eating tapas and drinking beer or wine. Some tapas are free, you can get a small item with your first drink order. The tastiest and most garnished tapas will cost you, but they are fairly moderately priced. The tapas experience, especially out of the ordinary in cities like Mérida, can be rewarding: you’ll meet friendly people who only come to chat after (or before) work.
Where to stay
Merida is not an expensive place to stay. The highly-rated Hostal Acueducto Los Milagros has friendly staff, a bar, free parking, and air-conditioning, despite the low room rates. Even the historic Parador de Mérida is a great value. It has a bar, sauna, restaurant and exercise room.
If you prefer a larger home or another vacation rental, check out HomeAway Vacation Rentals in Merida.
Attractions and attractions in Merida
The roman theater
The Roman Theater (Teatro Romano) is the jewel of Merida’s Roman heritage. It was built by Agrippa in 18 BC. 6000 people could sit in the theater. In June and July, plays are performed there.
The aqueducts
There are more than 5 miles of aqueduct running through Mérida, although there is not a section as complete as that of Segovia.
The Aqueduct of Miracles on the northwest side of the city is the most complete and feeds two nearby artificial lakes.
The roman bridge
It consists of 64 granite arches, the longest in Roman Spain, now it is a footbridge over the Guadiana River. The bridge is shown in the image above. The modern bridge you see behind was used to remove the load from the old one; It was not until 1993 that the Roman bridge was dismantled as the main entrance to the city for vehicular traffic.
Diana’s temple
Right in the center of the city there is a strange looking Roman ruin consisting of several columns. In the 17th century, a nobleman built a fairly large residence within the columns, using four of them in the construction of the house. How close, these columns!
The citadel
The Alcazaba, built in 835 from the remains of a Roman fort, is located near the Roman Bridge, which it was designed to protect. There are good views from the top.
National Museum of Roman Art (National Museums of Roman Art)
The museum, opened in 1986, offers a beautiful display of statues and other antiques used by the Romans. It is located opposite the entrance to the theater and amphitheater.
Where to go from here
If you are coming from Spain and heading to Portugal, I recommend driving to Belmonte, across the border, checking into Pousada Convento De Belmonte (and you must eat at the restaurant!), Then if you can bear to be out of the luxury Converted convent with Roman ruins and magnificent local cuisine, climb the hills towards Serra da Estrela and Penhas Douradas. You will be delighted, believe me.
