6 Best Sights in Catalonia, Valencia, and the Costa Blanca, Spain

Tarragona, the Emperor Augustus's favorite winter resort, had arguably the finest amphitheater in Roman Iberia, built in the 2nd century AD for gladiatorial and other contests. The remains have a spectacular view of the sea. You're free to wander through the access tunnels and along the tiers of seats. In the center of the theater are the remains of two superimposed churches, the earlier of which was a Visigothic basilica built to mark the bloody martyrdom of St. Fructuós and his deacons in AD 259.

The Greco-Roman ruins here are Catalonia's most important archaeological site, and this port is one of the most monumental ancient engineering feats on the Iberian Peninsula. As the Greeks' original point of arrival in Spain, Empúries was also where the Olympic Flame entered Spain for Barcelona's 1992 Olympic Games.

The remains of this 13th-century mikvah, or Jewish ritual bath, were discovered in the 1960s; it's one of the few surviving in Spain. A stone stairway leads down into the chamber where the water was drawn from the river, but little else indicates the role that the baths played in the medieval Jewish community. Access is by guided tour only (organized through the tourist office).

Just uphill from the fish market are this early Christian necropolis and museum. In 1923, the remains of a burial ground were discovered during the construction of a tobacco factory. The excavations on display—more than 2,000 tombs, sarcophagi, and funeral objects—allow visitors a fascinating insight into Roman funeral practices and rituals.

The plans just inside the gate of this 1st-century AD Roman arena show that what’s now visible is only a small corner of a vast space where 30,000 spectators once gathered to watch chariot races. As medieval Tarragona grew, the city gradually engulfed the circus. At one end stands the Praetorium tower, which is connected to the circus via an underground passageway.

The ruins of the 13th-century Santa Maria Convent, on a hill just outside of town, make a good walk and offer a panoramic view over Besalú.