Activities Art & Culture Trips & Tours Indoor Activities Cerro da Vila (Museum and Ruins), Vilamoura – one of the most significant historical sites in the Algarve provides a 5000-year journey through the history of humankind. The ruins provide an immersive experience of a typical Roman maritime villa (c. 1st – 5th AD). Inside the villa are mosaics, luxurious fountains (domus), public and private baths, fish sauces factories, funerary monuments (columbaria, inhumation graves) and highlights the existence of a fluvial port serving as a trading post. The ruins and museum are  located just a few steps from Vilamoura marina.

The displays at Cerro da Vila onsite museum, which was recently renovated,  show various artefacts that give us a glimpse of the residents’ life – bracelets, rings and brooches have been recovered from the site. The house was lit by oil lamps and several examples have been found along with earthenware and amphorae.

The presence of several workshops with tanks on the site indicate that fish preparation, garum, was an important commercial activity. The villa’s maritime location and the fact that imported goods (oil lamps, glass,) were found onsite, indicates that the villa was well integrated in the trade network of the Roman Empire.

As well as the roman artefacts found at Cerro da Vila, the museum also displays evidence of occupation of the site by Visigoths and Moors. There are several displays to enjoy at the museum and work on all the recovered artefacts is ongoing with an in-house team of two archaeologists.
See the video and the 360º virtual tour below.

 


Reviews

A must see if you like history - and incredibly cheap
3 euros to wander around an extensive Roman site, including superb villa entrance mosaic and both private and public bathing rooms. Explained in bi-lingual signs across the site, together with a small museum of some of the found items from the excavations.
 (Mick O)
 
An actual roman heritage site, just go, it's excellent loads of information to hand and the staff are fabulous.
 (Gerry F)

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Key Information

• Open Monday to Friday, 9:30h to 12:30h and 14:00 to 18:00h
• Highly recommended
• Group visits and guided tours available
• Children up to 13 years old – free of charge
• 14 to 64 years old – 4€
• Students – 2€
• Over 65 years old – 2€
• Groups over 10 people – 2€ each

3D Virtual Tour of Cerro da Vila
 
 

Contact

• Click for Phone Number +351 289 312 153