Guided tours · Tarragona · Spain
The Roman amphitheatre of Tarragona
the arena looking out over the Mediterranean, and the Gothic cathedral a little higher up
The motorhome stays in Salou and you enter the city by train, so parking never becomes a problem. The amphitheatre sits in the Parque del Miracle, resting on the slope above the beach: half of the tiers excavated, the floor of the arena below and the sea as a backdrop. From there you climb back up into the walled old town, where the cathedral closes off the end of a narrow street and a flight of steps. Between the two monuments lies the Roman city, reused as the foundations of today's buildings.
Getting there
- From the Salou motorhome area to the station it is a level walk of half a kilometre, and the regional train to Tarragona leaves from there
- You cannot take a motorhome into the centre: you arrive by train and get around on foot
- The amphitheatre is in the Parque del Miracle, outside the walls, on the seafront side
- From the amphitheatre to the cathedral you climb back through the walled old town, along narrow lanes and steps
Practical information
Duration a full day, arriving by train in the morning and going back on an evening one; between the amphitheatre, the cathedral and the old town there is no time left for anything else
Price amphitheatre 5 euros, cathedral 12.50 euros
Suitable for families with children, who have room to run in the arena and to test the acoustics of the tiers
Booking tickets for the two monuments can also be bought online, each on its own official site
Contacts
Where it is
Tarragona · Catalogna
You set off from
Notes
- The amphitheatre dates from the second century AD and held up to 14,000 spectators: the elliptical arena measures roughly 62.50 by 38.50 metres
- Amphitheatre hours from 1 April to 26 October: Tuesday to Saturday 9:00-20:45, Sunday and public holidays 9:00-14:30; from 27 October to 31 March Tuesday to Friday 9:00-18:30, Saturday 9:30-18:30, Sunday and public holidays 9:30-14:30. Closed on Mondays
- Last admission is half an hour before closing
- Admission to the amphitheatre is 5 euros, free up to the age of 12; the combined ticket for the five Museu d'Història monuments costs 15 euros
- The best light on the tiers is late afternoon, when the low sun sets the stone alight
- Metropolitan Cathedral, Pla de la Seu 1: admission 12.50 euros, reduced 8.50 euros, children aged 7 to 12 5.50 euros, free under 7
- Cathedral hours: Monday from 10:30, Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30, Sunday from 14:00; from 2 November to 1 March closing at 17:00 Monday to Friday and at 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday, at 19:00 from 2 March to 28 June and from 31 August to 1 November, at 20:00 from 29 June to 30 August
- Cathedral contacts: catedraldetarragona.com, info@catedraldetarragona.com, phone +34 977 22 69 35
- Early morning at the cathedral avoids the tour groups, the afternoon gives the better light for photographs
- The Salou to Tarragona regional train is punctual and inexpensive, but the fare is stated nowhere: check it at the station
