Conimbriga is one of the best-preserved Roman settlements in the Iberian Peninsula and the most extensively excavated in Portugal. The site covers around 13 hectares, of which a substantial portion has been uncovered to reveal the layout of a prosperous Roman town: a forum, public baths, temples, aristocratic houses, and an extensive network of streets.
The highlights are the mosaic floors. Several of the grand houses feature elaborate geometric and figurative mosaics in outstanding condition — some of the finest Roman mosaics surviving anywhere in the world outside of Italy. The House of Fountains, named for its elaborate ornamental waterworks, has particularly spectacular floors. A covered museum at the entrance holds the best-preserved portable finds: sculpture, glassware, ceramics, jewellery, and everyday tools that bring the town's daily life into focus.
Allow at least two hours for the site and museum combined. The ruins are clearly signed in Portuguese and English, and a self-guided walking route connects the main points. The site is open daily and is well maintained. From Coimbra, regular buses run to Condeixa and the site is about a kilometre further; taxis are readily available from Condeixa's main square.