The Círio Mines

The mines were part of the mining concession for wolfram and tin called “Vales” attributed during the Second World War due to the huge demand for wolfram ore, which occurs here in oblique veins of quartz, in the contact zone between the schist shales and the granites of Serra da Estrela. The mine is formed by a series of level galleries spaced about 40 meters apart, open along the slope. Between these galleries, chimneys were built, which not only aided the ventilation of the tunnels, but also allowed the flow of the extracted ore to the lower roadways, where it was loaded on trolleys and transported abroad. The sterile and the embedding rock, after being disassembled, were used to fill voids. Abroad, the ore was processed, crushed, and washed, even today the grounds where this washing was done are sterile, due to the high concentration of metals and other chemicals. On the site it is also possible to find the ruins of some of the buildings and industrial equipment then used in mining work. To find these mines we advise you to take the Círio Mines Route.