Mirobriga Roman Ruins

Mirobriga began as an Iron Age hilltop settlement and became a Roman town, occupied into the fourth century, sitting on a rise above what is now Santiago do Cacém. What has been excavated includes a forum with a temple to Venus on the summit, a paved street, a bridge, houses, and two bath complexes - one thought to be for men and one for women - with hypocaust systems, pools and drainage substantially preserved, which is what makes the site worth the stop. About six hundred metres away, on lower ground, lie the remains of a hippodrome, the only Roman circus identified in Portugal, though little of it stands above ground. The site is on open hillside with wildflowers in spring and views towards the Serra de Grândola. It gets few visitors, being off the main Algarve routes and overshadowed by Conímbriga further north.

What you actually see

• The baths - two complexes with hypocausts, pools and drainage well preserved.
• The forum - a temple platform and paved street on the summit.
• The hippodrome - the only Roman circus known in Portugal, mostly below ground.
• The setting - open hillside above Santiago do Cacém with spring flowers.

When to go

March to June for flowers and mild weather; September to November also works. One to two hours. Closed Mondays.

Honest expectations

No shade at all - Alentejo summer heat here is punishing. The hippodrome is barely visible above ground and disappoints. Signage is limited. The site is small compared with Conímbriga.

Nearby

Santiago do Cacém and its castle are below; Lagoa de Santo André is on the coast west.