Tuétano
What to order: holm-oak grilled meats and the artisan cured meats; if you have time, one of the two tasting menus
geocalia
Day itinerary · 38.92° N · 6.34° W
Mérida on a Sunday: the theatre first thing and the free museum.
Theatre and amphitheatre at 9:30 with the joint ticket, the National Museum of Roman Art free on Sundays, a charcoal grill beside the Alcazaba and an afternoon from the bridge to the aqueduct.
Leaving from
Part of Mérida
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
WalkingAbout 3 h spread out, on the flat
DifficultyEasy
CostJoint ticket €17 and lunch
Best timeMarch – May · October – November
With childrenYes; under-13s do not pay the joint ticket
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Badajoz 45 min by car
from Badajoz via the A-5, about 60 km
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1
Mérida Roman theatre and amphitheatre
buy the joint ticket · €17, under-13s free
- 2 min on foot
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2
National Museum of Roman Art
free on Sunday, 10:00 to 15:00
- 10 min on foot
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3
Temple of Diana and Forum Portico
on the way to Plaza de España
- 8 min on foot
- 4
- 3 min on foot
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5
Arab alcazaba and Roman bridge over the Guadiana
enter with the joint ticket · in winter, access until 18:00
- 15 min on foot
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6
Los Milagros Aqueduct and Albarregas park
in the last light, free
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Back home
you reach Badajoz around 19:15
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Mérida Roman theatre and amphitheatre
Mérida is fifty minutes from Badajoz and less than an hour from Cáceres: one Sunday is enough for the whole of Roman Mérida without rushing. The trick is to start at 9:30 at the theatre, buy the joint ticket and take advantage of the National Museum of Roman Art being free on Sunday mornings.
The day, hour by hour
8:40 · Set off. From Badajoz it is about 60 km on the A-5. From Cáceres, about 75 km on the A-66; from Seville, over two hours, so leave earlier. Park on arrival and do not move the car until you head home.
9:30 · Theatre and amphitheatre. At this hour there are few people. Buy the joint ticket, €17: it also includes the Alcazaba, the Casa del Mitreo, the circus and the rest. Under-13s with their family do not pay. An hour and a half for the two sites.
11:15 · National Museum of Roman Art. Right opposite, in Moneo's building. On Sundays it is free and opens from 10:00 to 15:00. Go down to the crypt to see the Roman road under the museum.
13:00 · Temple of Diana and Forum Portico. On the way to the Plaza de España, the temple's columns in the middle of a block of houses.
13:45 · Lunch at Tuétano. Holm-oak charcoal grill beside the Alcazaba, with Roman remains under a glass floor. Open on Sundays from 12:00 to midnight; book on 924 830 716.
16:00 · Alcazaba and Roman bridge. Go in with the joint ticket, go down to the cistern and cross the Guadiana on foot over the bridge. In winter, access closes at 18:00.
17:15 · Los Milagros Aqueduct. A quarter of an hour on foot, with the last light on the pillars.
18:15 · Head home. You reach Badajoz around a quarter past seven.
With children
The amphitheatre and the Roman circus are what they like most, and they do not pay: under-13s enter the joint ticket sites free with their family, and under-18s the museum. If they are tired in the middle of the afternoon, swap the aqueduct for the circus, which is on the same ticket. Watch out for the narrow stairway to the Alcazaba cistern.
Time1 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
A de Arco
What to order: what is in season and the menu of the month from its gastronomic days; ask for a table beside the arch
© ParadoresParador de Mérida Restaurant
What to order: grilled Retinta beef sirloin or lamb caldereta with shepherd's bread omelette; for dessert, repápalos
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Mérida
In spring and autumn. In July and August, the theatre at 9:00 and the afternoon for the museum and the bridge. The site closes only on 25 December and on 1 and 6 January.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book lunch
On Sundays at midday the centre fills up.
- 2Keep the joint ticket
They ask for it at each monument.
We'd skip it
A Sunday in July or August at midday in the theatre: stone and sun. On those days, monuments first thing and the museum during the hot hours.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day in Mérida cost?
The joint ticket, €17 per adult, and the museum is free on Sundays. With lunch, between €40 and €60 per person.
Can you do it with children?
Yes. Under-13s do not pay the joint ticket and under-18s do not pay for the museum.
What happens if it rains?
The museum is indoors and the theatre can be seen all the same. Leave the aqueduct for another day.
Is the Roman museum open on Sundays?
Yes, from 10:00 to 15:00, and free.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/merida/itineraries/roman-theatre-museum-and-alcazaba
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.