Tarragona: top attractions & road trip guide
Tarragona is a port city on Catalonia's Costa Daurada, built on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean about 100 kilometers southwest of Barcelona. Once the capital of the Roman province of Tarraconensis, it retains one of Spain's richest collections of Roman ruins, including an amphitheatre perched above the sea.
As a road trip stop, Tarragona sits directly on the AP-7 coastal motorway, making it an easy detour between Barcelona and Valencia. The old town's hilltop layout means parking is easiest along the harbor, with the Roman sites and cathedral reachable on foot from there.
Top attractions
Roman Amphitheatre
A 2nd-century arena built into a hillside above the sea, once used for gladiator fights and now a dramatic ruin open to visitors.
Tarragona Cathedral
A fortress-like cathedral atop the old town's highest point, blending Romanesque and Gothic styles and built over a former Roman temple.
Roman Walls
Massive fortification walls encircling part of the old town, with a walking path (Passeig Arqueològic) tracing the best-preserved stretch.
Devil's Bridge (Ferreres Aqueduct)
A two-tiered Roman aqueduct standing in woodland outside the city, once part of the system that carried water into ancient Tarraco.
Roman Circus
The remains of a chariot-racing stadium built into the old town's foundations, with a preserved vaulted gallery visitors can walk through.
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