Las Médulas
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Las Médulas - by Anual (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Description
The landscapes of Las Médulas are the result of open-pit gold-mining operations that took place during the Roman Empire, beginning at scale in the 1st century AD. A type of hydraulic mining was used, consisting in undermining a mountain with large quantities of water, so that vast quantities of the liquid had to be brought through an extensive network of canals and aqueducts. The best viewpoint is the Mirador de Orellan and popular trails include the Path of the Valiñas (4 km), the Reirigo Trail (5,5 km), and the Path of the convents (4,5 km).
Access & Transport
The site is in the western part of the León province, only a few kms from the border with Portugal. Access is by branching off the N-536 in the village of Carucedo. From the city of León, it is a 145km drive and from Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña, it is 200km.
Instructions & Recommendations
The visitor centre is located 400m from the parking and offers guided visits (3km route). Info here: https://www.turismodelbierzo.es/centro-de-recepcion-de-visitantes-de-las-medulas/
Environmental & Social
The environmental damage was done 2,000 years ago, it is now a "green" attraction that brings a little bit of tourism revenues to the villages in the area
Conclusion
A fantastic detour for road-trippers; las Médulas mix some outdoor elements (walks), impressive landscapes and cultural/historical aspects - make sure to read up at the visitors' centre to get the most of what you see.
Key positive
Visually impressive landscape, especially when put in context
Several trails to discover the area
Key negative
Quite a long way out from other regional attractions
Suitability
Some trails are actually quite friendly for wheelchair users and there are viewpoints not far from the road so we rate this attraction as partially accessible
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
August 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:1h 30m
est. visit time:2h 30m
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo