Roman baths

The Roman baths were declared a National Monument in the 1930s and a World Heritage Site, along with the archaeological complex of Mérida, in 1993. Currently, these baths are part of the local spa and can be visited by tourists, though with a schedule that follows the administration’s guidelines for the spa.

The Roman building has a rectangular structure, 33 meters long and 16 meters wide, with two identical round chambers topped with hemispherical domes. Access to these chambers is via a staircase attached to one side and covered by a barrel vault. Initially, the chambers were separated by gender, one for men and one for women.

Currently, one chamber is used for hot water and the other for cold water, both of which are now used by both sexes.

These chambers were decorated with four niches, each crowned by a quarter-sphere vault. The purpose of these niches was to serve as changing rooms. The center of the chambers is occupied by circular pools, with three steps that allow easy access.

The presence of marble, foundations, and columns suggests that the thermal building must have been much larger. Additionally, other archaeological areas can be seen around the baths, such as a gate believed to be the original entrance to the pools, and remains near the outdoor pool of the spa, among others.