Discover Medellín: Castle, Theater and Guadiana

Culture and History

The Castle of Medellín has a double ring of walls with numerous defensive and reinforcement towers, representative gate structures and a divided arms courtyard. From 2007 onward, excavations on the southern side of the hill between the castle and Santiago Church uncovered the Roman Theater of Medellín. Almost 800 original ashlar blocks, outstanding sculptures and a wide range of significant decorative material have been preserved in the Roman Theater of Medellín.

The Roman Theater of Medellín was permanently opened to visitors on July 24, 2013, and is one of the venues of the Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico de Mérida. Santiago Church was built at the end of the 13th century over the ruins of a Roman temple and combines late Romanesque features with Proto-Gothic elements. It was restored in 2003 and enhanced from 2007 onward at the same time as the excavations in the Roman Theater; in recent years, it has housed the municipality's Centro Museográfico.

The Puente Siglo XVII is a Baroque bridge completed in 1630, with twenty arches and a length of 400 meters. On both banks of the Guadiana, the remains of the Roman and Renaissance bridges that preceded the Puente Siglo XVII can still be seen. You can give the different architectural forms and historical periods separate weight when planning your visit, without assuming a fixed order.

The breadth of these topics makes personal prioritization possible: history, archaeology, water and movement can each take up the larger share of your own itinerary. Those viewing the town from different perspectives can consider the cultural focus, connection with the water and ways of getting around separately; no fixed ranking is required for this.

The Guadiana and Staying by the Water

Playa de Medellín is a riverside bathing area with showers and lawns; several chiringuitos serve typical dishes and refreshing drinks there. On the banks of the Guadiana, within the municipality of Medellín, there is a spacious and accessible motorhome area; overnight stays are currently not permitted there.

For a stay in Medellín, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can set different priorities when choosing a holiday apartment. Alongside the topics already described—culture, archaeology, the riverbank and guided tours—these details can be considered as separate practical factors. This keeps the choice of accommodation open without committing the visit to a fixed order.

Further Destinations:Casas de Don Pedro, Bienvenida, Medina de las Torres, Cabeza La Vaca, Benquerencia De La Serena, Higuera De La Serena, La Garrovilla, Monesterio

Visits and Tours

The Archaeological Park of Medellín can be visited year-round. In Medellín, guided tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 a.m., starting from Plaza de Hernán Cortés; the entire route is covered on foot. The year-round availability of the park and the weekend tour represent two different ways of exploring the area. The starting point at Plaza de Hernán Cortés and the fixed time make the tour identifiable as a separate appointment.

To the higher-level travel overview: Badajoz.