In the middle of the last century, mining resurfaced in the region: iron, lead, copper and zinc are some of the minerals that were extracted. There are currently four mines that can be visited in the council of San Martín de Oscos. You can visit the following mines on a route of 36 kilometres and with an estimated time of 4 hours:

Excomulgada mine

It can be reached from the AS-11 road linking Vegadeo with La Garganta. At the height of this town, a turn-off towards Illano leads us through a landscape full of modern windmills to the road that goes to Arruñada. At 1 km from this last turn-off we see a signpost that guides us to the right to access the mine. The last stretch is a 700 metre walk through a sea of heather and brambles to reach the installations and a large viewpoint which, at an altitude of 1,000 metres, extends our horizon to the remotest spaces. In the mine we can see the chief engineer's residence, the loading bay or go on an exploratory visit through the depths of the main gallery.

Arruñada Mine

It is accessed by taking the road down towards Arruñada and San Martín.

It was a gold deposit exploited in Roman times. From a viewpoint we can see the remains of the large water deposit of 2,400 m2, the mining channel and the front of the mine itself, being a clear example of the application of the "Ruina Montium" method (the idea was to take advantage of the work carried out by the water combined with the heat of the fire to remove and move large quantities of material among which, by decantation, the gold was found).

Pena Teixeira Mine

It is accessed by the same road leading down to the village of San Martín de Oscos, where it is accessed via a rural track.

This small mine located on the roadside is a typical example of the most abundant mining model in the region. The stratigraphy indicated an area of rich mineral deposits, and open-cast mining began until the depth of the trench meant that work had to continue inside. A visit to the gallery will take us up a ramp to the outside and from a viewpoint we can see the trenches created and the front of the mine.

Carmina Mine

In San Martín de Oscos, we will head towards Vilarín de Trasmontes. A forest track will take us to the vicinity of the mine near a clearing, where we leave our vehicle to walk down the path.

When we arrive, we can see a dump, a stone building to the right of what used to be the forge and the stable. To the left, also in stone, is the hopper where the wagons with the production were tipped. To the front, and situated at a lower level, we can see the hut that houses the old transformer.

Inside the mine, the artificial light will allow us to take a walk through the main gallery, and we will be able to see dragging ramps, gates, a winch, ore in the deposit itself and more.

Things to look out for

The galleries of the Pena Teixeira mine and some of the galleries of the Carmina mine are equipped to be visited, and even have a lighting system, but for safety reasons it is advisable to enter them with a torch. The galleries of the Excomulgada mine are not suitable to be visited. Furthermore, access to the interior of the galleries by vehicle is prohibited.