Moving to Mérida

Matthew’s article this week concentrates on moving to Mérida – in Spain’s sultry southwest. Enjoy!

Take life to the extreme in the Extremadura capital

Ups
Mérida, onetime Augusta Emerita, capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, is very much a work(ing museum) in progress. Archaeologists don’t have field trips here as much as live here for work reasons. There’s plenty to dig, you see.

Downs
Living in Mérida can feel like residing in a Roman theme park, at times. But Rome, with which the Extremadura capital is twinned, is as much a place for locals as tourists. Mérida can’t help being so beautifully preserved.

In and out
Extremadura’s that rarest of Spanish region. It doesn’t have an aiport. However, it’s around a 3-hr-15-min drive along the A5 from the recently-renamed Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez, Madrid-Barajas.

Education
It may be south-west Spain but Mérida’s a long way from the costas. Which makes international schools conspicuous by their absence. So, on the education front, there’s no other option but to go local.

Shop until you drop…
Enjoy the antiques road(side)show by walking from the city-centre to the Roman amphitheatre. Greengrocers will sell fruit and veg that’s in season and grown on Extremaduran soil. Likewise, butchers sell meat that’s regionally- rather than nationally-sourced.

Property types
There’s town(houses) in Mérida’s centre and country farmhouses in its rural outskirts.

Market watch
Apartments, €40.000+. Fincas, €60.000+.

In Praise Of
“What most people don’t realize is that the archeological gems of Mérida, its Roman ruins, have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, which attracts a fair amount of tourists to the town. For me, this is a positive because the town always has an active vibe, where other places of similar size can some times feel quite dead. In the center, there are lots of great restaurants and bars, but my favorite way to spend free time in Mérida is to enjoy the ample green spaces it has, especially “The Island” park that has a 5-km track that’s great for running or cycling.”  Chelsea Alventosa (Andalucia Bound)

• Are you an expat in Mérida? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know below.

Matthew Hirtes

Matthew Hirtes, our resident broadsheet journalist, moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria back in 2004. He’s travelled extensively through Spain, covering it for such publications as Telegraph Travel, Metro, and The Independent. The author of Going Local in Gran Canaria: How To Turn a Holiday Destination into a Home, Matthew truly is a resident expert.

Matthew writes for two sections of Spain Buddy: Moving to Spain and Spanish Football as well as providing Reviews