Photo: Zackds · CC BY-SA 3.0 es · editedAnfiteatro Romano de Mérida
Reducido 8,00 € EUR 8
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Why go
- The 126-by-102-metre elliptical amphitheatre and its 64-by-41-metre arena.
- Seating that originally held about 14,000 spectators.
Plan your visit
Prices
From the venue's website · checked 12 Oct 2026
Opening hours
Today09:00 – 18:00Show all
Don't miss
- Western spectator boxHistorically reserved for officials, with stairs connecting it to the main-entrance gallery.Western end of the arena’s short axis, above the first seating rows
- Eastern spectator boxUsed by the spectacle’s sponsor, with two stairways linking it to the arena.Eastern end of the arena’s short axis, above the first seating rows
Know before you go
- Open daily, 09:00–18:00.
- Reduced admission: €8.
Tips for your visit
- Look for José Menéndez Pidal’s restoration work in the lower seating.
- Read the surviving stands as three original seating levels; little remains of the upper tier.
Interesting facts8
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Twenty-six vomitories, or access passages, served the stands.
Amphithéâtre de Mérida - Wikipedia -
The lowest tier included a row for local elites and ten rows for the public.
Amphitheatre of Mérida - Wikipedia -
The building had sixteen exterior doorways; two in the northeast are blocked.
Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia -
The eastern seating was built into San Albín hill, like the adjacent theatre’s seating.
Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia -
Some rooms beside the galleries may have served as shrines to Némesis, to whom competitors entrusted themselves before contests.
Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia -
The seating had lower, middle and upper sections; little remains of the upper section.
Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia -
Restoration by José Menéndez Pidal is visible in the lower seating.
Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia -
Inscriptions establishing the opening date are now in the nearby Museo Nacional de Arte Romano.
Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia
History
The amphitheatre and neighbouring theatre were planned as an entertainment complex. Long galleries at the ends of the main axis gave gladiators access to the arena and also served the seating. Rooms beside the galleries were reserved for gladiators or animals.
- late 1st c. BCThe amphitheatre was built.
- 8 BCIt opened under Augustus for gladiatorial contests, fights between animals, and fights between people and animals.
- 4th c.The amphitheatre was abandoned and gradually buried.
- 1912It was declared a National Monument.
- 1993The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida, which includes the amphitheatre, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How to get there
- On footThe amphitheatre stands beside the Roman Theatre.
Sources: Amphitheatre of Mérida - Wikipedia · Teatro Romano | Consorcio Ciudad Monumental de … · Anfiteatro de Mérida - Wikipedia · Amphithéâtre de Mérida - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
- Phone
- +34 924 00 49 08
Questions and answers
Does it share an enclosure with the Roman Theatre?
Yes, the two monuments share an enclosure.
Where are the inscriptions and paintings now?
The inscriptions that established the opening date and the podium paintings are held at the nearby Museo Nacional de Arte Romano.
Was it used for mock naval battles?
Excavations beginning in 1919 corrected that earlier belief.
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