Sierra Almagrera - The Mining Geeks Guide

Back In Time to Mine the Sierra Almagrera

Sierra Almagrera Mountain Range

Discovering the wonders of the Sierra Almagrera

As its name suggests, this website is a guide to the mining heritage of Spain’s Sierra Almagrera. In downloadable book form, it is the When, Where, What, Whether, Who and the Why of the area. A veritable 'Mine of Information' that is recognized as a serious piece of research by local Spanish mining aficionados.

For decades I have been exploring the mining ruins in the Sierra Almagrera. For many years I couldn’t make any sense of what I was seeing because there appeared to be no logic to the way that the mines were exploited. In those early days information about the area was virtually non-existent, but then a local historian published a book, and a mining enthusiast published a paper, and I started to learn to read Spanish.

Exploring the mining ruins in the Sierra Almagrera

I was fortunate enough to meet the authors, Señors Bolea, Jódar and their associate, Pedro Perales Larios, by chance in the Barranco del Jaroso. Haltingly, I explained that I was writing some notes for English visitors to the area, and would they mind if I used information and pictures from their works. They unhesitatingly gave me permission, for which I can’t thank them enough.

The 2020’s has seen an explosion of interest in the area, spearheaded by Juan Antonio Soler Jódar with a series of Blog posts, El Faro de Bédar, and the publication of the Atlas Ilustrado de las Fundiciones del Levante Almeriense (SS. XIX-XX), which shed new light on the multitude of foundries that proliferated along the coast. Many of these findings are documented on this website.

Explore The Mining History

In the Books section is the series of volumes which make up the 'Then, There Were Mines' collection. They explore all of the aspects of the Sierra Almagrera’s fascinating mining history and the impact that the mining industry had on the surrounding area. Each volume can be downloaded at no cost. Just chose the one that interests you, click the download button, and read it at your leisure.

Some Sidelines

The Some Sidelines section is a collection of tangential discoveries, otherwise known as things, that I got sidetracked by, which complement the main volumes, Again, all of the topics are free to download.

New Discoveries

With any research project of this nature there comes a time when, in the light of new discoveries, you either have to go back and modify the original text or come clean and have a New Discoveries section. I have chosen the latter option, because even after so many years of research, I’m still discovering things.

What is forbidden is desirable

If, like me, you have an inquisitive nature and wonder about the ruins along the coast road and about the strange buildings in the mountains, then this website is for you. Hopefully, everything that you might want to know is in here somewhere. The beauty of it is, it’s in all in English, so no need for a phrase book, dictionary or Google translate!

What is Dangerous is Fascinating

Ignore the No Entry, Prohibado el Paso, signs, but not the Danger. Mine Shafts, Peligro Pozos Mineros ones. Even throwing a stone down one of the mine shafts can have quite startling results, (for both you and the roosting pigeons!). A warning, the vegetation is vicious! A stick, stout shoes, and long trousers are highly recommended.

Step by Step

The more I tried to find out about the Sierra Almagrera, the more ashamed I became of my ignorance. I knew nothing about the process of extracting and processing lead, silver and iron in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I knew even less about the geology of the Baetic Cordillera and geothermal systems.

As I researched the subject, I made notes to help me to understand each aspect. These jottings formed the basis of Then There Were Mines, the product of hours of research, of books, articles and web pages painfully and slowly translated from Spanish to English.

Reaching the top

I found my way round the Sierra with the help of photographs of the various mines found on the website mtiblog.com (localidades Andalucía). Quite often mti gives the coordinates for a mine’s location, so the track up to it can be found using Google Earth, albeit not on the first attempt.

Tributes to

I frequently failed on the second, and sometimes even the third go. J.M. Sanchis is the present-day chronicler of the remains of the mining industry in the Sierra Almagrera, but tribute must be paid to José Rodrigo Navarro as the 19th century chronicler. His wonderful pictures, taken between 1874 and 1883, give us so much insight into what it was like all those years ago. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the detail and clarity of Rodrigo’s make them worth many thousands of words.