Mina de Sao Domingos - former mining area

28^th Jan

We are now at Mina de Sao Domingos free camping on a Praia fluvial (river beach) carpark, but it is really nice and feels like a campsite! Lovely gravel parking slots, nice views of the water and free wifi from the nearby beach café. The Brits are here in force with 8 vans when we arrived last night, first time we have out numbered the French.

great free parking spot

Today we walked around the incredibly brutal yet fascinating remains of the mining industry that built this village and a few others in the area. The Romans mined here, but it took off big time in the middle 19^th century and continued to 1966 with the British company Mason & Barry running the huge operation. Mined for copper and zinc ore in the past the main focus moved to sulphide ore, 25 million tons being mined between 1857 – 1966, with copper being a byproduct from the metal rich waters created by the leaching process.

There are numerous remains of buildings, towers, workshops and processing factories in the village and all along the scarred banks of the Guadiana River. The massive flooded pit that once was the centre of the mining has an evil presence about it, the acidic black waters looking very sinister and not at all welcoming. The workings are still visible around the pit, but it is when you travel down the river that the incredible destruction of the landscape hits you smack in the face. It has to be seen to be believed, it is like a huge moonscape with the building remains looking like props for some apocalyptic movie. 

ore handling

locomotive repair shed

evil black water in flooded pit

workings around flooded pit

The riverbed is a rather vivid orange colour with stained rocks. The mounds of roasted ore remains and the waste (tailings) from mining litter the horizon. We were gob smacked at the sheer scale of the devastation.  Horrible to see but very, very interesting to see the impact man has had on the environment.

sulphide processing plant

contaminated water 

riverbed - weird orange colour

There has been wide scale damage to the ecosystem, but some plant species are actually thriving. There is a programme of rehabilitation for the area but it remains to be seen if it will happen due to funding.

A fascinating place well worth visiting.