After the island became a popular trading hub, the Romans took over around 52 BC, and expanded it along the left bank building baths, forums and amphitheaters.
Find your way back to the Riverwalk and explore La Villita, visit the craft markets around the old fountain, or see a band in a riverside amphitheater.
Its star attraction is an excavated site of ancient Hellenistic and Roman ruins that include the remnants of a colossal amphitheater and various temples.
Nearby you can live like a star in Mizner Park, among Spanish-style stucco restaurants, pretty fountains, upscale galleries and the artistic amphitheater.