Tarragona Roman ruins
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Tarragona amphitheatre - by Jiajun Ye on Google
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.
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
av. transport time:0h 30m
est. visit time:3h 30m
Start of Season 1:Apr, 01
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
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