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Tarragona Roman ruins

s/n Parc de l'amfiteatre, Tarragona, Catalunya

Description

Tarragona is a city founded before the 5th century BC on the Costa Daurada of southern Catalunya. This Roman colony on the Iberian Peninsula coast was named Tarraco and used as trading hub as well as a defensive position against the Carthaginians. Following the fall of the Western Roman empire, the city and surrounding territory changes hands multiple times: Vandals, Visigoths, Muslims (during the 8th century Umayyad conquest) until it became part of the county of Barcelona in the 12th century. The entrance ticket provides access to the 6 main Roman ruins (designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO): the Amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD with capacity for 15,000 spectators, the Roman circus, the Colony Forum, the Archaeological walk, Casa Castellarnau, and Casa Canals.

Access & Transport

Most of the sites are within a 5-10mins walking radius within the city centre. Tarragona is situated 100km southwest of Barcelona and is best reached by regional train (75mins ride from Barcelona-Sants) or by car, also a 75mins drive on the C-32/A-7.

Instructions & Recommendations

There is also a 1 site option priced at €5. Make sure you wear a hat/cap during the hot summer season. We highly recommend travellers to also include a visit of the Les Ferreres Aqueduct, only 4km north of the city.

Meta review

The ruins are a well-known cultural attraction in the region, but many international travellers seem to stumble upon them and are delighted with what they see, except for those who have previously been to much larger and impressive sights - it is all a matter of referential. Going by the reviews, the most interesting complex is the Roman Circus (Cir Roma).

Environmental & Social

Environmentally neutral Preserves the architectural and historical heritages of the region

Conclusion

The Roman ruins of Tarragona may not be the most spectacular out there but unless you live in Rome and are blasé about old stones, we would still recommend history and architecture buffs to make the trip down from Barcelona if you have sufficient time for it. If you are in southern Catalunya, then there really is no excuse to invest a few euros and a couple of hours of your time.

Key positive

Easy to access in the center of Tarragona

Key negative

Not on the same scale as the major Roman archaeological sites

Suitability

Most of the sites are accessible for visitors with reduced mobility but not 100% of their area (some steps in the amphitheatre)

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closing days listed here: https://www.tarragona.cat/patrimoni/museu-historia/visites/horaris

av. transport time:0h 30m

est. visit time:3h 30m

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Apr, 01

Season 1

MONDAY -

TUESDAY09:30 - 21:00

WEDNESDAY09:30 - 21:00

THURSDAY09:30 - 21:00

FRIDAY09:30 - 21:00

SATURDAY10:00 - 21:00

SUNDAY10:00 - 15:00

Start of Season 2:Oct, 01

Season 2

MONDAY -

TUESDAY09:00 - 20:00

WEDNESDAY09:00 - 20:00

THURSDAY09:00 - 20:00

FRIDAY09:00 - 20:00

SATURDAY09:30 - 20:00

SUNDAY09:30 - 14:30

Pricing
Price for access to all 6 monuments/sites
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€15
Adult
18 - 64
€15
Teen & Young
12 - 17
€7.5
Child
3 - 11
€0
Infant
0 - 2
€0
50% discount for pensioners, retired people, the unemployed, students >16 yrs.

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