Camino Invierno - Day 2

6 October 2023

Borrenes to Las Médulas - 17 kms

We more or less had a day off the Camino today. We left the camino path 3.5 kilometres from Borrenes and made our way up to see the remains of Roman gold works above Las Médulas. Had we walked directly from Borrenes to Las Médulas it would have been only 7 kilometres, but the route we took added another 10 kilometres to our day. 

The remains of the goldmine above and around Las Médulas are from the most important goldmine in the Roman Empire. Large scale production began in 77 AD, using up to 60,000 workers at it's peak and extracted over 6,000 kilograms of gold annually. 

The technique used was called ruina montium, mountain destruction. Galleries were dug into the mountain and large volumes of water, sourced from up to 70 kilometres away, were forced into the galleries to collapse the mountainside. 

What is visible today is the result of the destruction of the mountain caused by the mining. If a goldmining company in New Zealand left such destruction there would be a massive outcry. Instead, here in Las Médulas, the ruins of the mountain are now a protected UNESCO site and a major tourist attraction. 

After leaving the camino path from Borrenes, we followed a road up to the Mirador de Orellán, the lookout point at 990m - a 540m climb. 

We were able to go into a remaining gallery and walk along it to an opening which gave a view out over the destruction.

From there we walked down to the village of Las Médulas on a track through holm oaks and chestnuts. It was a very steep descent on a rocky uneven path.

Tomorrow we'll be be back on the Camino proper again. 

Leaving Borrenes 

Borrenes 

Out on the camino path for 3.5 kilometres 

Off the camino and climbing up to the Mirador 

The chestnut trees are quite a way behind those we saw on the Piémont Pyrénéen and Baztan routes. They had mostly dropped their chestnuts. 

Still on the way up.

A Roman and his castle 

Coming into the village of  Orellán 

The Orellán church 

Orellán 

On the way up from the village 

...and looking back at it.

The chestnut trees were very old.

This man was collecting chestnuts. 

On the path up to the Mirador. Cars zoomed past us making easy work of our walk up.

Finally at the Mirador de Orellán, looking down on the ruins of the mountain. 

An image of a Roman and the workers - many of the 60,000 were slaves. 

In one of the galleries 

An opening in the mountainside 

After leaving the Mirador we walked down to the village of Las Médulas through holm oaks and chestnut trees.

A view out from the track down to Las Médulas 

The church in Las Médulas 

This photo was taken in Las Médulas 

A strange Las Médulas creature 

...and cat.

In Las Médulas