Baelo Claudia

Who would have thought that in Spain we would find a substitute for Rome. Baelo Claudia is the best-preserved ruins of the Roman city in Andalusia, located right next to the beach of Bologna , showing the whole  organization of the ancient city, along with its buildings.

Built  in the Phoenician enclave, the beginnings of the city date back to the 2nd century BC and from the beginning it was of strategic importance in the development of trade with the largest cities in North Africa. Thanks to fishing and trade in the famous "garum" fish sauce -

obtained  made of fermented fish, with a distinctive taste and not very pleasant smell  basic  ingredient  exquisite cuisine  ancient Rome - caused the enormous development of the city to such an extent that Emperor Claudius in  In the 1st century AD he elevated the city to rank  municypium.  

Unfortunately, in the 2nd century AD, the city was destroyed as a result of an earthquake and, despite attempts to rebuild it, it fell victim to the plundering invasions of pirates, Moors and Germans several times, without gaining its original splendor.  In the 7th century AD it was finally abandoned. Covered with dunes and a layer of sand  forgetting until the beginning of the 20th century, when in 1917  the French scientist Pierre Paris began the first archaeological work.   

The ruins of Baelo Claudia are the most characteristic example of Roman urban development on the  The Iberian Peninsula, and above all, the best preserved in this territory. Down  today they have survived  because the remains of houses, streets, a forum, a basilica, a court curia, a theater bathhouse and  four temples -  goddess  Isis, 

and  Junons,  Jupiter and  Minerva, the so-called Capitoline Trinity.  

Today, the remains of ancient architecture  can be visited for free. Available to tourists is both a museum presenting the history of the city, discovered ceramics, statues, as well as presenting the history and photos of archaeological excavations, as well as the ruins of the city on a beautiful  Atlantic Ocean background  and Playa de Bolonia.  

Going to Tarifa or Bologna beaches  be sure to visit this place, you will be surprised by the history, views, brilliantly preserved riune, thanks to which probably everyone realizes how  Andalusia was then of strategic and important importance at that time.  

Address:  Ensenada de Bologna, pp. 11380 Tarifa (Cádiz)

Opening hours: 

from 1 January  down  March 31  and from September 16 to December 31

Tuesday - Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Sundays and public holidays from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm  

from April 1 to June 15

Tuesday - Saturday  from 9:00 a.m. to  20:30  Sundays and holidays: from  9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  

from  June 16  down  15th of September

from Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays from  9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Mondays: closed