Things to do in Tarragona

Tarragona was Tarraco two thousand years ago, capital of Roman Spain, and the city never fully built over what came before. Roman walls cut straight through the medieval streets of the old town. The amphitheatre still faces the sea.

Roman Tarraco under the Part Alta

The Part Alta sits on the hill. Two thousand years of building show here, one layer stacked on the next. The amphitheatre held up to 15,000 people for gladiator fights, and a church rose inside the ring centuries later.

• The amphitheatre. Built in the second century AD facing the sea, big enough for 15,000 spectators; a church went up inside it later.
• The cathedral. Built over a Roman temple at the top of the old town, reached by a long flight of steps.
• The Roman circus. Its chariot-racing track survives in fragments woven through the modern street grid below the walls.
• UNESCO status. The amphitheatre, circus, walls and more make up the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000.

Rambla Nova to the sea

Rambla Nova runs straight down to the water. Modernista buildings line much of the avenue, more ornate than the streets around it. It ends at the Balcó del Mediterrani, a railed viewpoint over the amphitheatre and the sea.

• Platja del Miracle. A sand beach inside the city, a short walk down from the old town.
• Platja de l'Arrabassada. Calmer and family-oriented, with showers and beachfront restaurants, a longer walk or a short bus ride out.
• El Serrallo. The old fishing quarter west of the harbour, still working, with seafood restaurants along its edge.

Beyond the walls

A Roman aqueduct rises just outside the city, arches stacked two levels high over a valley. It's known as the Devil's Bridge. Reus, about fifteen minutes off by train, is Gaudí's birthplace and calls itself the capital of vermouth.

• Pont del Diable. A two-tier Roman aqueduct, around 26 metres high, built in the first century AD.
• Valls and calçots. Grilled spring onions eaten by hand and dipped in romesco sauce, a local ritual from January into March.

Practical

• Weather. Summers run hot and dry, July and August afternoons regularly above 29C; winter days stay mild, typically 13-15C.
• Getting there. Barcelona is about an hour and ten minutes away by train; Reus airport sits a short bus ride from the centre.
• Tipping. Not expected; rounding up the bill or leaving small change after a good meal is normal.
• The cathedral. A separate ticket covers the cloister and museum; hours shift with the season.