20th-century Villaricos mining tunnel getting ready to open to the public

The mining tunnel is one in which ore was transported from the Sierra to be shipped to the coast.

Work has already begun on the improvement and pedestrianisation of ‘Tunnel 1’ with the aim of adapting it and making it suitable for guided pedestrian visits.

The Villaricos tunnels date back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1906, the Herrerias-Villaricos mining railway was inaugurated, built by the illustrious archaeologist Luis Siret in order to reduce the cost of transporting ore from the mines of Las Rozas to the Villaricos jetties, located on the coast.

The route was 5.60 kilometres long and access to Villaricos was by means of a double tunnel. His interest in reducing the cost of mineral transport led him to the construction of a railway line between Poetronila and Los Hortelanos in Villaricos, whose construction began in April 1897 and was completed in August of the same year.

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