Mérida is probably that Spanish city that few have visited and many have probably never even heard of. But I promise you it’s totally worth it to visit Mérida 🥰 .

A 1 hour’s drive from Elvas or Campo Maior, Mérida is an excellent plan for a long weekend getaway.

The truth is that Mérida has quite a significant historical importance. Emerita Augusta (the old Roman name for Mérida) was an important Roman colony founded by the emperor Octavius Augustus. Mérida was even the capital of Roman Lusitania. Thus, the city still has a vast archaeological heritage and this is probably one of the greatest reasons why people visit Mérida.

Part of the Spanish region of Extremadura, Mérida is known for its harsh winters and hot summers. Don’t be surprised if the temperature exceeds 40ºC during summer months. So, to make the most of Mérida, I suggest you visit it between the months of April and June or October, for example.

Mérida is not that big of a city, so we easily visit its main points of interest in 2 days. However, if you only have one day available, don’t miss it because it’s also possible! Of course the visit will be more rushed and you’ll probably be more tired at the end of the day, but it will still be worth it 😊

Mérida has no airport, these being the main cities with the nearest airport:

• Badajoz (68 km)
• Sevilla (192 km)
• Lisbon (289 km)

So, apart from the option of flying to one of these cities and then renting a car to get to Mérida, you can also choose to use public transport that connects the various cities:

• Badajoz: direct RENFE train, but also buses (ALSA, Interbus, Flixbus)
• Seville: direct buses from ALSA available
• Lisbon: there is a chance of combining trains and buses, but no direct option

chose to stay in a location further away from the historical centre of Mérida (about 15 minutes by car) – Casa Rural Don Álvaro de Luna. It is a more rural accommodation, with a small pool and garden available, perfect for relaxing. The rate also includes a simple but generous breakfast.

Anyway, I take this opportunity to leave you other accommodation suggestions that also seemed interesting to me:

• Emperador Mérida
• Apartamentos Harmonia
• La Flor De Al-Andalus
• Apartamentos Mitreo
• Nova Roma

Before starting the list of what to visit in Mérida, I leave here the map version of the main points of interest in Mérida.

Due to the importance that the city of Mérida had in the Roman Empire, there were 3 aqueducts that provided water to the city.

San Lazaro Aqueduct and Milagros Aqueduct are two of this set of aqueducts that you can still visit in Mérida. They stretch over almost 1000 metres and are still very well preserved.

It is said that the name of Milagros Aqueduct (Miracles Aqueduct) comes from the state of awe that this construction provoked in people. And I couldn’t agree more – it was, without a doubt, one of the places I enjoyed the most visiting in Mérida 😊

About 400 metres long and 100 metres wide, this ancient circus could hold almost 30,000 people.

The date of its construction is not known for sure, but it has undergone several modifications and renovations, one of the last being carried out in the 4th century AD. But the truth is that this is one of the best preserved Roman circuses to date.

Right next to the circus’ ruins, there is a small museum where we can learn more about its history.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: It is open every day from 9 am to 6.30 pm (or until 9 pm from April to September). The ticket to visit the museum and enter the circus itself costs 6€, but it is possible to buy a ticket for the complete monumental complex for 16€.

Dating back to the 8th century BC, this amphitheatre was the stage for many typical entertainment shows of that time, such as gladiator fights or races.

This space could take up to 15,000 people and was the go-to entertainment for many at the time. The space is still quite large and has several explanations along the way.

Located in the same compound as the Roman Amphitheatre, there is the Roman Theatre. This was built a little earlier (between 16 and 15 BC). The audience had a capacity for about 6,000 people, who were distributed in the various seats according to their social status.

This monument is probably the most imposing of all the Roman monuments in the city of Mérida and it is definitely worth a visit.

Currently, this is the same venue where the Merida International Classical Theatre Festival is held every year.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The ticket to visit the theatre and the amphitheatre costs 12€, but it is possible to buy a ticket for the complete monumental complex for 16€. These two venues are open every day from 9am to 6.30pm (or until 9pm from April to September).

It is not known for sure when it was built, but the Temple of Diana immediately reminds us of the famous Roman Temple located in Évora. In fact, this is the only surviving religious building from the Roman Empire in Mérida.

Furthermore, the Temple is exceptionally well preserved. This is largely due to the fact that this temple served as the foundation and base for the Renaissance palace of the Count de los Corbos.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: To see the Temple of Diana from the outside you do not have to pay. However, if you want to visit the Interpretation Centre next to the Temple, the ticket costs 3€. If you have the combined ticket, this visit is already included.

The Alcazaba was built more recently than the other monuments of the old Roman Empire and it is a fortress ordered built by Abd al-Rahman II in 835.

This fortress had as main objective to control the accesses to the city that came through the Roman Bridge. From here you certainly have one of the best views over the Guadiana river and the Roman Bridge 😊

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The Alcazaba is open every day from 9am to 6.30pm (or until 9pm from April to September). The ticket to visit it costs 6€, but it is possible to buy a ticket for the complete monumental complex for 16€.

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you intend to visit several of these monuments there is a combined ticket for 16€ that gives you access to all the above plus some more (e.g. Casa del Mitreo, Archaeological Crypt of Santa Eulalia, Archaeological Area of Morería, Amphitheatre House). Tickets can be purchased online at this site.

The Roman Bridge crosses the Guadiana River and was one of the city’s gateways. About 800 metres long, it is one of the longest surviving bridges of the Roman Empire.

The bridge was destroyed several times, either due to the various battles that took place there or to the floods of the Guadiana River. Thus, it was rebuilt more than once, with the most significant restoration taking place in the 17th century.

At 15 metres high, the Arch of Trajan is not actually dedicated to the emperor Trajan. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the name, but it is believed that this was the gateway to a sacred space dedicated to the imperial cult.

Plaza de España is one of the most important places in the city and has been like so for some time. This is where kings and queens were welcomed or where they were mourned.

Today you will find a very pleasant space, with many restaurants, cafes and bars where you can take some time to relax for a bit. In this square you will also find several beautiful buildings, such as the Town Hall, the Vera Mendoza Palace and the China Palace.

The original construction dates back to the 4th century, having been built outside the old city walls and on the tomb of Saint Eulalia. However, the current version of the Basilica dates from the 13th century, and some materials from the original basilica were used after the reconquest of the city of Mérida by Alfonso IX.

In addition to visiting the Basilica and its crypt, I recommend you also visit the famous “Hornito” (which translates to small oven), which is located right next to the Basilica. This was a place of worship for pilgrims so that they could pray without having to enter the basilica. It is also said that this small chapel reused the remains of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Mars.

The list of what to visit in Mérida is not limited to the places mentioned above, so I would like to leave you with a few more suggestions:

Sites from Roman, Visigoth and Arab times

• National Museum of Roman Art
• Casa del Mitreo: ruins of a Roman house built between the 1st and 2nd century AD
• Archaeological Area of Morería
• Amphitheatre House: archaeological site where there were houses and funerary/industrial spaces during the Roman Empire
• Bridge over the Albarregas: bridge from where the road headed towards Astorga
• Thermal springs/”Poço de Neve” and Pontezuelas thermal springs

Sites from the Early Middle Ages and Modern Age

• St. Mary’s Cathedral
• Carmen Church
• Chapel of Our Lady of La Antigua

Contemporary places

• Bullring
• Lusitania Brigde
• Puerta de la Villa
• Iron Bridge

I only had the opportunity to try two restaurants in Mérida. I confess that I didn’t love either of them, but they can be two nice places to enjoy a meal:

• La Carbonería Brasas y Tapas (€€€): tasty food, but high prices for the quantity served. I tried a seafood rice and the chicken with teriyaki sauce.
• La Catedral (€): located in Plaza de España, the offer is very much based on fried food. We tried some chicken “lagrimitas” (breaded chicken strips) and a “solomillo”. The food was well seasoned, and the portions were very generous. Slow service, however.

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