2 Best Sights in Extremadura, Spain

Mérida's Roman teatro (theater) and anfiteatro (amphitheater) are set in a verdant park, and the theater—the best preserved in Spain—seats 6,000 and is used for a classical drama festival each July. The amphitheater, which holds 15,000 spectators, opened in 8 BC for gladiatorial contests. Next to the entrance to the ruins is the main tourist office, where you can pick up maps and brochures. You can buy a ticket to see only the Roman ruins or, for a bit more, an entrada conjunta (joint admission), which also grants access to the crypt of the Basílica de Santa Eulalia and to the Alcazaba. To reach the monuments by car, follow signs for Museo de Arte Romano. Parking is usually easy to find.

To get to this sturdy square fortress, built by the Romans and strengthened by the Visigoths and Moors, continue west from the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano, down Suárez Somonte toward the river and city center. Turn right at Calle Baños and you can see the towering columns of Templo de Diana, the oldest of the Roman buildings. To enter the Alcazaba, follow the fortress walls around to the side farthest from the river. Climb up to the battlements for sweeping river views, or go underground to see the aljibe, or cistern.