I had never heard about Las Minas de Mazarrón until I arrived at my sister’s apartment to start my one month stay in Murcia, Spain. Murcia is a region in the south of Spain that you don’t hear too much about. I wasn’t even aware of it until my sister moved there a couple years ago.
Anyway, I was going to be spending one month there and I had no idea what to do. So I started googling cool places to go in Murcia and I stumbled upon Las Minas de Mazarrón. After seeing multiple pictures of Las Minas, I knew I had to go!
What are Las Minas De Mazarrón?
‘Las Minas de Mazarrón’ translates to ‘The Mines of Mazarrón’. Mazarrón is an area in Murcia, Spain that borders the Mediterranean Sea. It has a long history of mining which actually goes back to the Roman times! The land is full of many minerals including iron, lead, silver, copper, and zinc. All of these different minerals are what create the rainbow colored land at the mines. The mines eventually closed in the 1960s and were left abandoned. There is a board in the parking lot that explains some of the history in both Spanish and English, however it is hard to read due to vandalism and graffiti. Also keep in mind that while you can explore Las Minas, it is an abandoned site and can be dangerous!!! We were told to be careful where we walk and to try to stay on the paths.
What to expect at Las Minas de Mazarrón
We weren’t sure what to expect before going there as it was our first time. Luckily, the mines are open to the public and free to enter! From the car park it is easy to see the mines. There is a dirt road you can walk up to start your trip. It is an easy 10-15 minute walk up a slight incline to get to the first abandoned buildings. We ended up spending a couple hours walking around in the heat and didn’t even get to see everything! The colors all around are amazing! There are also so many different types of abandoned buildings, as well as different parts of the mines to explore. You can see old wooden structures, deep wells, and even little caves. It can get very (very!) hot in Mazarrón, so be mindful of what time you are arrive as it can be extremely tiring to walk around during the middle of the day.
What to bring
You don’t need to bring much with you to Las Minas de Mazarrón. However, due to the heat make sure you have sunblock and lots of water! I would also advise wearing comfortable sneakers as you’ll be walking a lot (and especially if you decide to explore any of the abandoned buildings). Lastly, make sure you have something to take pictures with because you will be taking a lot of them!
How to get there
Unfortunately I don’t know of any public transit that goes to Las Minas de Mazarrón. It is best to drive there to explore the abandoned mines.
If you continue to drive down this road another minute, you will arrive at the parking lot which has the sign pictured above. You will then easily see the dirt road that you can walk up to start exploring.
