How to Spend 2 Days in Mérida, Spain

Due to the cold winters and extremely hot summers, I recommend visiting between the months of April-June or September-October to get the most out of your visit. However, the Roman theater puts on performances during July and August, so it really depends on what type of experience you want.

Other accommodation suggestions:

First up, we walked through Trajan's Arch which is part of the UNESCO’s Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida. This 15m high granite arch was not a triumphal arch, nor was it dedicated to the figure of the famous Hispanic emperor Trajan. However, it was believed to be the gateway to a sacred space used as a place of worship in imperial times. It was pretty neat to see this ancient ruin between modern day buildings today, Conveniently we were looking for lunch, and they had two amazing places right outside the arch: A de Arco and Sybarit Gastroshop. They both had nice outdoor seating right outside the arch - highly recommend either for lunch.

The Los Milagros Aqueduct is an impressive and well-preserved Roman water supply system that supplied water to Augusta Emerita in ancient Roman times. Constructed in the 1st century, the aqueduct is comprised of three levels of stone and brick arches that once reached 28m high. This site was truly impressive and one of my favorites. The thought that something of this magnitude was planned and constructed in such early years is baffling. The remains of the Los Milagros Aqueduct are a great example of Roman engineering and an impressive 800m of this aqueduct still stand today.

Stopping by Plaza de España is a must during your visit to Mérida. It’s one of the most important squares in the city as it holds so much historical importance. Over the centuries, it has hosted festivals, performances, markets, and even executions. Today you’ll find a nice central fountain surrounded by a variety of restaurants/cafes and historical buildings, including the city hall with a storks' nest on the top. We stopped and had dinner at one of their many restaurants while watching the sun go down.

Before heading back for the night, we stopped by the Puente Romana (Roman Bridge) as our hotel concierge recommended seeing it at night as its beautiful lit up. The bridge crosses the Guadiana River leading visitors to the Alcazaba. A little under 800m long, it’s known as the longest surviving bridge of the Roman Empire dating back to the 1st century. Of course, much has been restored over time with the most significant restoration taking place in the 17th century. The bridge is still in use today, but was pedestrianized in 1991.

To explore some of Mérida’s history post-Roman empire, you’ll want to swing by the Alcazaba, a Moorish fortification built in the year 835 AD from existing Roman ruins. One of its main purposes was to filter access to the city from the Roman bridge. In the courtyard, you’ll find some archaeological remains from Roman times: the main road of the city as well as the foundations of the wall and of a monumental gate. The said gate has been, for centuries, the symbol of this city because of its representation on some of the currency issued in Emerita Augusta. Here you’ll also have some of the best views of the Roman Bridge.

One of the more iconic sites in Mérida is definitely the Temple of Diana. Honestly, we stumbled upon this site the night before looking for food and we were pleasantly surprised as it was beautifully lit up and almost completely empty. We had the entire place to ourselves and it was magical. The Temple is centrally located, so we were able to walk by numerous times throughout our visit. The entrance to the inside museum does have odd hours and I believe it varies - this day it was only open from 11am - 1:30, so we made sure to be there for the opening.

Some history on the Temple was that it was originally a sacred site constructed by the Romans in the 1st century. Despite its name, the temple was dedicated to the imperial cult rather than the goddess Diana, and would have been one of the city’s main temples. Today, the Roman Temple of Diana is one of Merida’s most prominent ancient buildings and is part of UNESCO’s Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida.

By far my most favorite site and the most visited tourist site in Mérida – the Roman Theatre. Constructed between 16 and 15 BC, this theatre was designed to hold roughly 6,000 spectators who were distributed from the bottom to the top according to their social rank. The theatre is truly an impressive work of art from the beautiful columns to the intricate statues and exquisite marble – it’s truly a remarkable site to see. The theatre is still in use today as it hosts various performances during the summer months.

We were able to pay a little extra with our combined ticket to have a tour guide walk us through and explain the history on both the Roman Theatre and the Amphitheatre – they only offered the tour in Spanish, but was 100% worth it if you understand Spanish.

Right next door you'll find the Roman Amphitheatre. Dating back to the 8th century BC, this amphitheatre was the main stage for entertainment such as gladiator battles, races, parades and other spectator events and was able to hold up to 15,000 people. Now, it obviously doesn’t compare to Italy’s iconic Colosseum, but the remaining ruins are still remarkable nonetheless.

Opposite the Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre, you’ll find the National Museum of Roman Art. This isn’t included in your combined ticket, but entrance is only 3€, which is totally worth all the beautiful artifacts inside. The statues and mosaics are truly magnificent and there’s even a section of a Roman road and a crypt you can enter as well. Totally worth visiting in my opinion.

Just opposite the Plaza del Toros, you’ll find the House of Mitreo and Columbarium. The House of Mitreo was built between the 1st and 2nd century outside the city walls and now contains the remains of what was once a large Roman villa. This house is believed to have belonged to a high-ranking family that was important within the society of Mérida due to its size and the decoration of the mosaics.

Adjacent to the House of Mitreo is the Columbarium – an ancient cemetery. The major exhibits in the columbarium contain some well-preserved mausoleums and a series of tombstones.

I found Mérida to be a charming and impressive trip. I read conflicting reviews/blogs before visiting stating that the ruins aren’t up to par with some of the other Roman ruins around Europe, and while that might be true in terms of size and notoriety, I still believe the ruins of Emerita Augusta were just as fascinating and remarkable to see first hand. If you have the time, I would recommend expanding the trip to see some of the other notable and historical areas around like Trujillo and Càceres as well, but if not a day or two in Mérida is certainly suffice.