Proserpina Dam
Embalse de Proserpina
A Roman-era dam about 5 km north of the city, still in use today. In summer, its lakeside beach is a popular swimming spot for locals.
The Proserpina Reservoir was built in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Its Roman earth-and-rock dam is about 430 meters long and still holds water, making it one of the oldest dams in the world still in use. In Roman times it supplied the city through the Miracle Aqueduct. The dam wall and intake tower can be viewed up close. Today the lakeside has an inland beach, a bar-restaurant, and walking trails, where locals swim and go boating in summer. About 5 km from the city center, it requires a car or taxi and suits a half-day of leisure in hot weather.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Acueducto de los Milagros
- Lusitania Bridge
- Basilica of Saint Eulalia (Mérida)
- Arch of Trajan (Mérida)
- Morería Archaeological Site
- Plaza de España (Mérida)
- Temple of Diana, Mérida
- Portico of the Municipal Forum