Before you read any further, an important announcement:
the previous concession has been discontinued. We hope that new owners will come. Until then, the park will remain closed.
Discover a history that forms a living memory of the men who worked in the Sierra Minera. A history based on remains found in their natural environment.
El Parque Minero in La Union opened its gates in the summer of 2010. It is a perfect place to visit in the warm months.
A visit to this mine takes about two hours and starts with a short video to help you better understand the history of La Union. With a train you will be taken over Carretera del 33 to the "mina Agrupa Vicenta". The Carretera del 33 is the main street. The path was built in 1933 (hence the name) with a view to connecting La Union to the port of Portman where the minerals were shipped worldwide and thus offering work to unemployed miners after the mining crisis of the 1920s.
Once at the top of the mine and after everyone is provided with a hairnet and safety helmet, the tour can begin. The mine "Mina Agrupa Vicenta" is the main attraction of the entire complex. It is the first and only underground mine in the Murcia region that can be visited. It is even one of the most spectacular mines that can be visited in Europe. 4.000 square meters is open to the public and one goes 80 meters deep. The spaces in the mine are amazingly larger than expected. Pyrite was won here from 1869 until the middle of the 20th century.
The guide explains how the work in the mine went, how the minerals of the different levels were transported outside. During the tour we come across a lake with reddish water, which is the effect of pyrite.
Once back from the mine, the tour continues along "El Polvorin". This is the place where gunpowder was stored.
The ores extracted from the mine were led to a launderette. The launderette was built in 1920 and functioned until 1957. Industrial installations, before that time, separated the ores or minerals that were of economic importance from the worthless ores or minerals. The mine waste was taken to a landfill.
After the tour you return to the starting point by train.
Given the complexity of the mine and to be able to keep everyone together, the tours take place in groups. For this reason it is necessary to make a reservation. The tours are in Spanish, but if English-speaking visitors want to book a tour, an English-speaking guide will be provided. So booking in advance is essential.
entrance fee - opening hours
* concession has ended, park is temporarily closed
address
* Calle Isaac Albeniz, 30360 La Unión
* GPS : 37°36'56.3"N 0°52'22.8"W - 37.615624,-0.87298
distance
* Torrevieja : 55 km, 45 minutes
* Guardamar : 65 km, 55 minutes
* La Marina : 84 km, 60 minutes