23417SPA
Walking sightseeing with TM.
**Timing is very important today, you need to arrive in time to allow your group a bathroom break and time to see the ruins (and, ideally, the museum across the street). Make sure you leave either Seville or Salamanca by 8am**
· Amphitheatre and Roman theatre inside visit
Merida:
· Check the opening times of the Roman ruins to plan your timing accordingly.
· Groups will usually have a local guide for Merida – check your Araque envelope. If you do have a voucher for this service, please clarify details with the area office.
· If your itinerary includes a local guide, please call or text them at least 24 hours in advance to confirm time and meeting place. In this case, the guide pays entrances and you pay them with signed voucher.
· If you don’t have a guide you will be paying entrances – ask for leaflets in English.
The coach will set you down behind the Roman ruins. Arrange a rendezvous with your driver, but make sure you have their number as well. Lead your group around to the ticket office and point out where the toilets are if they need them (toilets by the ticket office and also just inside the main entrance). This will allow you time to go get the tickets and for them to have a break (10 minutes).
Your guide will meet you by the main entrance
If you don’t have a guide included
Lead the group over to the entrance and walk them down the main path. At this stage, it is up to you to decide what to show them first – the amphitheater or the theatre. The theatre is much better preserved and seeing this first often enables them to envision what the amphitheater was like in its original splendor.
After you have shown them both, and depending on your schedule, you can give them time to look around or lead them across the street to the Roman Museum. At this point, you can either arrange a time to meet or explain where they can find good lunch places and arrange a final meeting time and place. Be warned, if you are having lunch here; there are several restaurant “hawks” who stand at the entrance of the ruins advertising overpriced menus. There are plenty of places for snacks and tapas here.
A good meeting place is in front of the entrance to the ruins. It has some shade.
THINGS TO DO
Roman Museum This is a must see if you have time! An impressive collection houses a lot of the beautiful statues and mosaics that were found in the forum, amphitheatre and theatre. You can also go down to the crypt and see the old Roman road.
Alcazaba Whilst there is not much to see of the ancient palace, you can get to the city walls from here where you have an impressive view of the Roman bridge.
Plaza de
España Busy square in the middle of the downtown area where all the shops and tapas bars are.
Morerias
archaeological
site Along the riverfront, this is the site of an excavation showing several streets of Roman houses in the former Moorish district. There are some rather lovely mosaics and wall paintings and you can watch the work in progress as they are still working here.
Casa del
Mitreo A temple dedicated to Mithras. There are some surviving mosaics and wall paintings. The highlight is a mosaic depicting the cosmos – widely considered one of the best preserved Roman mosaics in the world.
Chocolate con
churros Bar Atrium on Calle Alfonso Onceno
Roman Bridge A 15 minute walk down hill and through Merida brings you to the wonderful Roman bridge and a nice park
A – Bus Drop Off/Pick Up Point
B – Ticket office & bathrooms
C – Entrance to Roman Ruins
D – Roman Art Museum