Standing in the middle of the amphitheater, looking up at the stands, you’ll be able to feel the unique vastness of its layered history. The basilica became a church known as Holy Mary of the Miracle, then eventually a convent and prison. Guests can roam freely around most of this second-century structure, from the old prison cells to the seats in which 12,000 spectators would gather to watch the carnage and even the main ground of the Amphitheater itself.īy the third century AD, the Amphitheater was built upon with a basilica to honor the Christians who were martyred there. When I stood at the top of it looking down on the spot where gladiators fought to the death thousands of years before I was even born, I was in utter amazement. The Tarragona Amphitheater: My personal favorite, the Tarragona Amphitheater is an arena on a coastal hillside overlooking the Mediterranean sea.
Here are the must-see stops you have to make on your Roman tour through Tarragona. What’s great about the preserved Roman structures is that you can tour them all in a single day, and on foot, as the rich array of sights are all about a 15-minute walk from each other. You can even spot many pieces of the Roman ruins built into Tarragona’s more modern architecture.
To this day, several of the colony’s structures, like an amphitheater and massive river aqueduct, still stand. Before it was Tarragona, it was a Roman colony - the first in Spain - known as Tarraco, which was founded in 218 BC. While Tarragnoa might seem like just a cute little city that begs for the generic label of "quaint" on first glance - with its quiet beach areas, old-school architecture, some cobblestone roads, and slow-paced atmosphere - a short walk off the ramblas will lead you to ancient structures that showcase its immense history. The Tarragona Amphitheatre is massive in size and history.Įxplore millennia of history in Tarragona
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Here's how to experience this ancient, wholly singular city by the sea. When you’re in Tarragona, you truly get a taste of the lifestyle and people who live there.ĭespite all its appeal and its close proximity to one of Spain's most toured destinations Tarragona remains one of Spain's best-kept secrets.
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But the real kicker? Unlike Barcelona - a sprawling, gorgeous metropolis only an hour away by train - there aren’t masses of tourists crowding the long pedestrian walkways full of artisan vendors and cafes known as ramblas. To your left, a slew of ancient Roman ruins. Look to your right, and you’ll see a panorama view of the Mediterranean sea. And let me tell you, Tarragona blew my fantasy of it out of the water. Growing up, I heard endless stories from her, delivered in her near-indecipherable accent, and my mother about their family summers spent back “home.” I’d curiously examine old black-and-white photos of my mom and our relatives in the ‘60s - from her siblings and cousins digging in the sand outside of a small, bungalow-style cafe at the beach to Yayo’s hillside house with an awning draped in greenery, the images left me in awe of the sights and people pictured.Īfter years of painting a picture in my head about what Tarragona was like, I finally had the chance to turn my fantasies into reality. My own yaya, however, married an American and settled in the US. Since then, most of my Spanish relatives never left. My mother’s yayo (grandpa) was born in Tarragona in 1900 and her yaya (grandma) was born there shorty after. Although many travelers have never even heard of this seaside city, it’s somewhere I’ve known all about since I was young, thanks to my Catalan heritage. I’m talking about Tarragona, a port city in the Catalonia region of Spain. Yet most Americans are overlooking this compact, jaw-dropping Spanish destination.
But there's one city that packs it all - the history, beauty, food, and wine - into a smaller package, and it's just a short trip away from Barcelona. Gazing upon the Catalan gothic architecture of Barcelona, sipping beachside sangria in Ibiza, and gorging on tapas while shopping in Madrid are all top-tier daydream fodder when you think about a trip to Spain.
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