Mina de São Domingos
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An abandoned former copper and pyrite mine in the deepest darkest south-eastern corner of the Alentejo region of Portugal. The abandoned, crumbling mining structures and the large swathes of red-tinged polluted bodies of water give the place an eerie post-apocalyptic atmosphere – just the ticket for the so-inclined dark tourist and industrial urbexers!
More background info: The area of the Mina de São Domingos (‘St Dominic Mine’) had already been mined during Roman times, but then lay dormant for many centuries until mining on a larger scale was resumed in the mid 19th century.
After a few years of changing ownership, the mining operation was handed to a British company (Mason & Barry) in 1859. Initially copper was mined in tunnels, but from ca. 1867 an opencast mine was also begun, which eventually became a huge hole in the ground.
The copper, a prized commodity in the then progressing Industrial Revolution, was exported mainly to Britain. To facilitate this, a railway line was constructed leading all the way, over 10 miles (18 km), to the Guadiana River (where it forms the border with Spain) and the port of Pomarão so that the ore could be transported away by ship.
At the mine itself, workshops, ore crushers and other mining infrastructure as well as a whole village for the miners were established. The village included a church, a cinema, a hospital and: a grand mansion for the British mine owners, next to an “English Garden”. There was also a separate “English Cemetery”.
After World War One, copper was largely replaced by pyrite as the main mineral mined at Mina de São Domingos. Pyrite is a prized source of sulphur. This had to be extracted from the ore by mechanical as well as chemical means, though, and that involved using huge amounts of water. This then polluted the area with sulphuric acid and other chemicals. The miners handling all these substances consequently suffered from various health issues too. It was a hard life.
By the mid 1960s, mining had become less profitable, and as the government apparently threatened the mining companies with the obligation to clear up the environmental mess they left behind, the mine closed altogether in 1966.
What could be salvaged and sold as scrap was taken away, including the railway tracks, the rest was simply abandoned and left to become increasingly dilapidated. No clean-up of all the pollution caused by the mining operations was undertaken.
After the mine, once one of the largest in Europe, had at first been largely forgotten, it became a sort of unusual and quirky tourist attraction in more recent years. A walkway was installed at the old opencast pit next to the village, and a few plaques and information boards were put up. The main area of the former mine, however, was largely left as it was, save for the odd info plaque and quite a number of warning signs alerting visitors to unsafe crumbling structures and dangerous acidic contamination in the various polluted ponds of the former mine.
The former mine owner’s mansion, meanwhile, has been turned into a rather plush hotel (see below) – and I actually stayed there when I visited Mina de São Domingos. The hotel’s main clientele, however, is not tourists and urbexers, but sports teams, especially kayakers who train in the nearby rivers and reservoirs/lakes (ones that are not of the polluted sort, of course).
The former mining village is by no means abandoned (as the entry about Mina de São Domingos on the Atlas Obscura website erroneously claims). I was there on a weekend and saw plenty of activity, even large family gatherings. The place certainly felt very lived in (the Portuguese Wikipedia page claims the village has just over 500 inhabitants). Only the mining areas, former workshops and other ancillary buildings lie in ruins and are abandoned.
What there is to see: After I had done my preparatory research, I was primarily keen to see the most dystopian-looking outer parts of the mine area, so I headed there first to begin my hiking.
Starting from the ex-railway workshops, I followed the former railway line. The actual tracks have been removed, but you can still see where they would have been in some places.
I came to a cluster of ruins with some sorts of ponds/basins (I’m not sure what they were for), now dry and with vegetation growing out of some of them. To the right the first of the many bodies of water of the mine then appeared, with some beautiful reflections on the still surface of the water. The area beyond looked like it had been strip-mined, forming a kind of artificial “valley”. Some of the deposited material on its slopes had a weird bluish-grey colour and looked like solidified sludge.
Moving on along the track on the eastern side of the “valley” I then arrived at the first set of large-scale industrial plant ruins, dominated by a stone tower – or maybe a big chimney, next to large empty shells of brick and stone buildings. From a plaque positioned on the other side of the “valley” that I found only on my hike back, I later learned that these ruins used to be an ore-crushing plant – and that the abandoned village atop the hill next to the plant was called Moitinha, from where the plant also took its name.
Shortly after that I happened upon a dead fox lying sideways right on the track. At first it seemed as though the animal was merely sleeping, so intact did it look, with beautiful fur and no traces of blood or visible wounds. But it clearly was dead. The eyes were open and still shiny, so it can’t have been lying there long. I could have inspected it further but didn’t really want to touch it, and there were no sticks or other implements lying around that I could have used to turn the body over. In the evening I sent my sister, who is a country vet, a photo and we had a little chat about the fox. As I had half expected, she surmised that this fox must have been poisoned. I doubt that the local sulphuric acid pollution (see below) could be to blame, but suspect a human source for the poisoning. Apparently there’s also seasonal hunting going on in the area, so maybe it was one of the hunters getting rid of a “competitor”. But I can only speculate. In any case, it was a sad sight to behold. Such a beautiful animal …
And so I carried on and soon came to the most spectacular set of mining-structure ruins. The main elements are two tower-like structures with box-shaped tops. I could not work out what the function of these structures may once have been. The labels for them that you can find on Google Maps translate as “blast furnace”, but that seems unlikely, as I thought the ore was transported away from here to be processed elsewhere. But I’m no mining expert. Anyway, somehow the mystery of these structures actually enhanced the dystopic, post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
By the way, most of the time it was totally silent at the mine – except when the roar of teams of motocross drivers who use this rugged terrain occasionally drifted near. But I never saw another soul here, except for a solitary cyclist who at one point overtook me, and one car driving past not far away.
Inspecting the tower-like structures further it became clear that they were in a serious state of dilapidation and the rockfall-warning signs placed by them seemed very valid indeed. There are big cracks in the brickwork and some of the concrete cladding had already fallen off in places. A bit further on a huge slab of reinforced concrete had toppled and poked sideways into the ground below.
Nearby stood two stone chimneys, one on a hill, the other directly by the track. That one looked so clean and perfectly intact that it seemed like it had just been built and was brand new. Maybe some refurbishment work had been undertaken recently. I don’t know.
Behind the mysterious twin-tower plant the “valley” widened and was partially filled with blood-red water – typical mining pollution (I’ve seen it before at the Kokkinolimni “Blood Lake” at the Mitsero Mines in Cyprus). It does not only look decidedly toxic, it really is, as the many warning signs saying “Perigo – substâncias corrosivas” make clear enough (even if you don’t know any Portuguese). The water is heavily contaminated with sulphurous acid! In places, wire-mesh fences keep visitors away from the water, but by no means everywhere. Still I didn’t take any risks and stayed clear of the water’s edge.
As the track I had been following now branched off to the left, I instead clambered down the slope to the side of the “twin-tower plant” and joined another track at the bottom of the “valley”, in order to get to another set of such mining structures I could see on the other side of the big lake in between the two sets. Along the way large reddish brown slag heaps of some description could be seen.
Then I came to the second tower-like plant ruins, this time dominated by a single, much wider “tower” with a couple of smaller ones to the side, all atop some massive vaulted foundations. Again I have no idea what purpose these structures once served, maybe they were some kind of kiln … (If anyone can enlighten me, please contact me!)
After poking around at this location I then set off to follow the track further south, now marked as an actual hiking trail. As I later found out this could have taken me all the way to Pomarão (see above) at the end of the former mining railway with the remains of the ore-loading bridge. But that would have taken many hours, and I was already beginning to feel a bit knackered.
Anyway, there were no more mining structures to explore, just more of the blood-red lakes, some with sulphury yellow sludge on the edge and some orange streaks in the water. Every so often the colour display became almost psychedelic in its extremes.
The only other trace of the mining activities of the past to be seen here was a collapsed end of some sort of tunnel or bridge.
Eventually I turned round and started walking back north. At the earlier “twin-towers” mine ruins I now stayed on the lower path instead of clambering back up, and so I passed two tunnel entrances at the bottom of the structures that I hadn’t seen when I was there before. I peeked in but left it at that as the floor of the tunnel was flooded and I didn’t want to get my boots soaked in what could be polluted water (though it wasn’t red here).
The path then climbed up on the other side of the strip-mining-like “valley” and so I got a good view of the ore-crushing plant I had passed earlier from a distance. I could now see that the stone tower seemed to have some sort of furnace at the bottom, but what exactly it was once for I still couldn’t work out.
By the path leading past the uppermost of the various bodies of water that I had already seen from the other side of the “valley” stood more warning signs, now even bilingual with an English translation saying “Contaminated Water Area” (and to make it even clearer there was also a no-swimming sign). Seen from this side the water of this pond looked not red like all the others, but a strange kind of green. So the chemistry must be different, but in what way I cannot say. (Perhaps something even more toxic than the corrosive red water and hence the sign in English?)
Eventually I arrived back at the other, northern end of the former railway line and set about exploring the rest of the mining ruins there. By the former railway workshops stand a few chimneys; and they all had storks’ nests at the top – occupied. I also spotted a stork at the top of the tower by what my map said was the former police station.
Clambering through ruins I came to what looked like a typical mining head frame with two wheels at the top. But as I learned from a panel nearby this was not above an actual mine shaft used by miners but was a capstan used for draining water from an underground part of the mine.
Beyond these mining relics I climbed a road past some lived-in houses to finally come to the former opencast copper mine, now also filled with a red lake. There was an info panel and also a pedestal that must once have supported some form of plaque, but that was missing. To one side of the red lake in the open pit a walkway had been constructed which I followed to the viewpoint at the end. But from there I had to turn back, as it wasn’t possible to walk all the way around the pit/lake.
Climbing uphill along the northern side of the pit’s edge I eventually came to the “Cimitério dos Ingleses” or ‘English Cemetery’. This is a small patch of land surrounded by a high stone wall. The gate was padlocked but I could peek in and spot some of the remaining headstones amongst the tall cypress trees that have grown around them.
From there I headed towards the ex-mining village with its densely clustered red-roofed whitewashed houses. My map (which I had picked up at the hotel the day before) claimed that there was a small museum or documentation centre called “Casa de Mineiro” that is said to feature an exhibition about miners’ lives back in the day. But: I could not find it. I walked past the alleged address, used Google Maps, but there was no sign of a museum. Could it be in an unmarked location and I walked straight past it? I don’t know. Anyway, going by the photos I’ve seen of the museum’s interior, I don’t think I’ve missed out on much …
All in all, this was a fantastic few hours of industrial urbexing and photographing a splendidly “post-apocalyptic” dystopia of sorts. I found it one of the highlights of my January 2025 trip to Portugal. But of course it’s not something that is for everybody. Those with little interest in urbex and walking around for hours in such scarred and polluted settings will probably find the idea of doing so quite off-putting. But everybody to their own. I loved it.
Location: near the south-eastern edge of the Altentejo region of Portugal, not far from the border with Spain, which is just a few miles away to the east. The nearest more significant town is Mértola, ca. 10 miles (15 km) to the west. To Évora, the Alentejo’s capital, it’s more like 70 miles (110 km) to the north-west, and to Lisbon some 120 miles (200 km).
Google Maps locators:
Where I started my hike from: [37.6683, -7.5008]
Former ore-crushing plant: [37.6573, -7.5061]
Mysterious “twin-tower” structures: [37.6498, -7.5103]
Other set of similar structures: [37.6473, -7.5113]
Most “psychedelic” of the red lakes: [37.6418, -7.5147]
Greenish lake: [37.6643, -7.5038]
Pomarão at the end of the ex-railway line: [37.5559, -7.5255]
Former railway workshops: [37.6693, -7.4981]
Mine capstan: [37.6685, -7.4968]
Former opencast-mine pit and red lake: [37.669, -7.493]
English Cemetery: [37.6701, -7.4919]
Casa de Mineiro (allegedly): [37.6732, -7.4971]
Former mine owner’s mansion (now hotel): [37.6705, -7.5028]
English Garden: [37.6698, -7.5016]
Access and costs: remote, only reachable by car; the former mining areas are freely accessible, but costs for accommodation and transport have to be factored in.
Details: To get to Mina de São Domingos you really need your own means of transport, i.e. ideally a (hire) car. I saw a local bus stop, but never a bus, and searches on Google Maps yield no results for public transport.
From the A2 motorway (which connects Lisbon with Faro in the south) take exit 12 at Castro Verde and take the N123 heading east, past the town and towards Mértola. Then from Mértola continue eastwards on the N265, which will take you straight to your destination. From Lisbon, the drive takes ca. two and a half hours (using toll roads – see under Portugal in general)
Theoretically you could even drive into the mine, but I rather recommend exploring it on foot. You get a better feel for the place that way. The hiking route I took is outlined above. I started from my hotel – see below – which was only a short walk away from the northern end of the former mining area.
Almost all of the former mining area is freely accessible at all times, though only daylight hours make sense. Do take note of the many warning signs, though, avoid entering unsafe structures, keep clear of the polluted waters and in general take good care. I visited in January and was lucky with the weather – clear blue skies, pleasant temperatures. In really wet weather it will by much trickier and much less fun to explore the area; and in summer it can get blisteringly hot (the Alentejo frequently suffers from heatwaves) so when going there under such conditions make sure to carry plenty of drinking water, use sunscreen and wear a sun hat. Good (hiking) boots/shoes are a must in any weather.
As exploring the mine takes the better part of a whole day, you’ll need accommodation in the village or nearby. There are several smaller B&Bs and pensions in the village, including one right by the former police station near the former railway workshops, but I opted for the plushest option: the hotel that the former mine owner’s mansion has been converted into (its name is now “Alentejo Star”), partly for convenience but also for the history, of course. I chose the dinner, bed & breakfast option, as I expected not much in terms of eating out in a place as forlorn as Mina de São Domingos. We were given a pretty large and comfy room in the modern annexe and the meals served in the dining room (partly buffet) were just fine (in fact, the second night’s dinner was the best bacalhau a bras I had on this trip!).
Almost all the other guests were a sports team from Poland – kayakers, as I soon found out. That had an impact on the atmosphere that rather clashed with the classy setting and interiors of the former mine owner’s mansion. Instead of smart dress it was more flip-flops and “Polska”-T-shirts and bathrobes all around … as well as noisy group dynamics, all in Polish. It was a little surreal.
One of the hotel staff, who hailed from Brazil and spoke good English (unlike many of the other staff), explained that the hotel is mainly aimed at such sports teams and is in fact only available to the general public at weekends (Friday to Sunday). That explained why I had trouble booking for the dates I had originally wanted and instead had to adapt my itinerary. So if you also want to stay at this place when visiting Mina de São Domingos (in winter) do bear this in mind: it must be on a Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday! Out of curiosity I later checked for dates in summer, though, and there didn’t seem to be the same restriction in place then. (But, as indicated above, the hot summer season would not actually be a good time to visit the mining area.)
Walking around the village I also saw a few simple restaurants and shops, but none of these are geared towards tourists and don’t expect any English menus or indeed much English to be spoken here.
Time required: The hike I went on of the southern parts of the mining area, starting at the hotel and the “English Garden”, took me a good three hours, plus another couple of hours for the rest of the ruined mining areas, the opencast pit, the English Cemetery and the village. Add driving times and it becomes clear that you need a whole day here, so ideally with two nights’ accommodation in or near Mina de São Domingos.
Combinations with other dark destinations: As indicated above, one could hike all the way down to Pomarão, or drive there, to see the end of the former mining railway and the remnants of the ore-loading bridge. But it’s not much for justifying the effort, and I didn’t go there.
The nearest other dark site that is given a chapter here is of a totally different nature: the Capela dos Ossos (bone chapel) in Évora, a good hour’s drive away.
See also under Portugal in general.
Combinations with non-dark destinations: While Mina de São Domingos as such is really not touristy, the area it is located in does have a number of visitor attractions and activities. The very nearest is swimming – namely from a dedicated bathing area by the (artificial) lake (“Tapata Grande”) just west of the village.
In the wider area, the old town of Mértola could well be worth a look (though I didn’t stop there myself). It features a 13th century castle and a church that was converted from what was a Moorish-era mosque. The little town has plenty of tourist facilities for its size.
There are also lots of offerings for nature lovers, e.g. birdwatching, and activities like kayaking, white-water rafting, paragliding and such things.
The region is noted for its dark skies facilitating stargazing, as there is very little light pollution around. In fact, the hotel I stayed at in Mina de São Domingos featured its own observatory – except it was out of order, or at least not accessible for guests, at the time I was there.
See also under Portugal in general.
