The Las Matildes Mines

The Matildes Mines is an interesting morning out for anyone interested to learn about the history of the Sierra Minera, the boom of the mining industry in Cartagena and the unfortunate misery of the miners in La Unión who faced gruelling conditions and premature death in the many mines which litter this vast area between Cartagena and La Unión.

There were a variety of materials founds in this area and extracted for different uses, the main one being lead, known as galena from which silver is also extracted, and a material known as alumbre (alum) which was highly valued as a colour fixative in fabric production as well as having a wide range of other uses including being used as a disinfectant, and medicinal and cosmetic treatments.

The mine machinery has been fully resorted and the site is well worth visiting.

The mine is run by a foundation dedicated to recovering the mining heritage of the area, and in January 2019 the center will be open for visitors between Thursday and Sunday weekly from 10 am to 2 pm with a small general entrance fee.

Outside of the standard hours, the mine is open by appointment for groups of more than 15 people by prior arrangement.

Please see the map below to for the center´s location.