Mina del Serranillo

Mina de El Serranillo

Useful Information

Location:	Unnamed Road, 10120 Cáceres. From Cáceres A-58 to Trujillo, then E-90 south exit 253 Trujillo, EX-208 to Zorita, left on EX-102 to Logrosán, stay on EX-102 at roundabout, turn left on Ctra. Guadalupe immediately after the roundabout. (39.349869, -5.463793)
Open:	no restrictions. [2023]
Fee:	free. [2023]
Classification:	Tin Mine Villuercas Ibores Jara, Geoparque Mundial de la UNESCO
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Craig Merideth (1998): La Mina El Cerro de San Cristobal: a Bronze Age tin mine, Papers from the Institute of Archaeology 9 (1998): pp 57-69. pdf
Address:	Mina del Serranillo, Unnamed Road, 10120 Cáceres. Logrosán City Council, Tel: +34-927-36-00-22, Tel: +34-927-36-07-99. town E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

9th to 6th century BC

first tin mining.

Geology

The Mina del Serranillo (Serranillo Mine) is located in metamorphic slate at one end of the metamorphic halo of the Logrosán granitic stock. In this contact zone between the molten magma and the surrounding rocks, the high pressures and temperatures metamorphized the sedimentary rocks. It also caused mineralization in the fractures caused by the movement of the magma. The heat caused hydrothermal convection, minerals were dissolved at the hotter end and deposited at the colder end. The veins were filled mostly with quartz, but also with cassiterite (SnO₂), arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, tourmaline, molybdenite, and accessory pyrite. This is a typical polymetallic hydrothermal deposit, but tin was the main metal.

The cassiterite crystals present twins and specimens of high mineralogical interest are found. The presence of chalcopyrite, which contains copper and iron, caused the appearance of malachite and azurite. The eroded minerals were redeposited as colluvium, clayey materials with angular pebbles, transported by the rivers. The sedimentary deposits with a high cassiterite content were once mined with pans. Actually, mining of the tin at nearby Sierra de San Cristóbal Mountains started in the protohistoric period, between the 9th and 6th century BC.

Description

Mina de El Serranillo is located in the Cerro del Serranillo (Serranillo hill) area, about 2.5 km northeast of the village of Logrosán. It has no underground tour, but the surface area with the mining remains is freely accessible. This site is a got completion to a visit to the nearby Costanaza show mine. Unlike that mine, here tin was mined, it was actually the last tin mine that remained active in Logrosán until the early 20th century. In other words the mining is rather modern, but it was obviously on a very low scale.

It seems the El Serranillo gallery is currently rehabilitated and may be open for underground tours in a while. It seems there are some galleries accessible, if you have appropriate shoes and a lamp, nevertheless, be very careful. Entering abandoned mines is quite dangerous.