Ammaia Roman City

Tickets and tours: all the options

Entry is straightforward. The site is run by the foundation that manages the excavations, and a single ticket bought at the museum at Quinta do Deao covers the museum and the excavated areas. There is no online booking and no queue, and a staff member may offer a short explanation if you ask. Panels in Portuguese and English explain the main areas.

Organised options on GetYourGuide are limited to two. One is a private full-day tour from Lisbon that covers the walled village of Marvao and the Roman ruins, with transport and a driver-guide; meals and entrance tickets are often paid separately. The other is a horse ride from Sao Salvador da Aramenha that follows country paths to the ruins, for riders of various levels with a local guide. Neither is necessary for an ordinary visit: the site is easy to reach by car and simple to explore on your own in an hour or two.

The sensible plan for most visitors is to drive, stay in Marvao or Castelo de Vide, and visit Ammaia in the morning or late afternoon. The private tour is worth it only if you have no car and just one day; the horse ride suits those who want the landscape as much as the ruins.

A short history

Ammaia grew up in the late 1st century BC and became a town under Claudius in the 1st century AD, gaining civic status in 44 or 45. It lived from farming, the natural resources of the area and the roads to Emerita Augusta, now Merida. The town was rebuilt in the 4th century but declined from the 5th, and under Arab rule in the 9th century it was abandoned for the fortified hill of Marvao. Its stone was reused for centuries, and 20 statues were sold to England in the 19th century. Leite de Vasconcelos identified the site in 1935, excavation started in 1994, and the University of Evora has led research since 2007. It is a National Monument.

Getting there

Ammaia lies at Sao Salvador da Aramenha, beside the national road that links Portalegre with Marvao and the Spanish border. From Lisbon the drive takes about two and a half to three hours on the A1, A23 and the road north through Portalegre; Lisbon airport is the nearest international one, and Badajoz airport in Spain is about an hour away. Express buses run from Lisbon's Sete Rios to Portalegre in about three hours, and from there a taxi takes around 20 minutes. Local buses to Marvao are infrequent. There is a car park by the museum, and the gate and forum are a walk of five to ten minutes. From Marvao village it is about 5 km downhill.

Rules and what to bring

Stay on the marked paths and do not climb on walls, column drums or the gate towers. Some areas are fenced while research is under way, so keep out of active trenches. Bring a hat and water in summer, when the open fields get hot, and good shoes for the grass and stone, which can be slippery after rain. The museum has toilets; for food, the nearest cafes are in the village of Portagem and in Marvao.

When to go

Ammaia is quiet all year, and you are unlikely to meet more than a few other visitors except at weekends in summer, when Spanish and Portuguese families come up to Marvao. The museum closes for lunch, so plan for a morning or afternoon session rather than arriving in the middle of the day.

Spring, from April to June, is the best time: the valley is green, wild flowers grow among the stones and temperatures are comfortable. July and August can be hot in the Alentejo, often above 30 degrees, though the hills are cooler than the plain. September and October are mild, and in November Marvao holds its chestnut fair, which fills the area at weekends. Winter brings rain and fog on the Serra de Sao Mamede and shorter opening hours. Allow one to two hours for the museum and ruins, and a full day with Marvao and Castelo de Vide.