A mining morning out in La Unión

Recommended excursions for groups or individuals

La Unión lies within the Comarca del Mar Menor and is completely enclosed by the Cartagena municipality, so is an easy drive for anyone staying within the Mar Menor area or Cartagena. There are buses and trains directly from Cartagena.

La Unión is a municipality dominated by its history as a mining town, the Sierra Minera filled with various minerals which have made it a focal point of attention since prehistory.
The wealth hidden beneath the rocks of La Unión was one of the principle reasons the Romans invaded Cartagena, tens of thousands of slaves forced to work in the mines to extract and smelt silver and lead, the resulting coinage paying for the Punic wars against the Carthaginians and funding the growth of the Roman Empire.

A second period of intensive mining co-incided with the industrial revolution and the expansion of Cartagena, many of the striking modernist buildings which so characterise the city today built by mining barons who controlled the mines in La Unión.

A final period of open-cast mining scarred the landscape with millions of tons of waste materials and left the municipality with its biggest unresolved headache: Portmán Bay. Sterile waste was poured into the bay and work is still underway today to achieve regeneration and remove the mineral waste.
The landscape of La Unión is dotted with the remains of mining exploitations, and the Fundación which cares for the historical remains offers accompanied walks through the mining areas for groups only. ( see separate article). It is also possible to walk the 7km Route 33 between La Unión and Portmán unaccompanied.

However, it is possible to visit two of the mines which have been restored and visits can be arranged for groups to see both in the same morning or for those visiting solo to see the main mining attraction the Parque Minero and mining museum at the same time.

Parque Minero
This vast mining park gathers together many of the elements used in the mining and processing of minerals as well as including the Mina Agrupa Vicenta, an underground mine complex covering4,000 square metres. Visitors are shown  a short audio-visual about the mining history of the area before driving up to the mine in a train, and enjoying an accompanied visit inside the mine itself. The mine includes a glowing orange lake and is a fascinating place to visit. Exiting the mine, visitors are shown the washing, sorting and toasting processes used through the external exhibits.
Guided tours in English are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, although English language tours are available at any time for groups of 20 people or more. Spanish language tours are available daily. Visits to the mine are accompanied, and English language tours will only run if there is sufficient demand so prior booking is ESSENTIAL even for individuals.

Museo Minero La Unión
Before visiting the Parque Minero it is highly recommended that a visit be paid to the mining museum in the Casa del Piñon, which also houses the Tourist Information Office, Flamenco museum and Town Hall.
The museum contains an excellent selection of minerals, tools used by miners, and has an informative audio-visual presentation in English which explains mining processes, the history of mining in the area and the dangers faced by miners. It also discusses the social issues relating to the mining history of La Unión.

Mina Matildes
This museum is the engine housing of one of the vertical mine shafts used before open cast mining, and although it began life as a working mine, was converted into a pumping installation to remove water from mine workings. It’s well worth a visit, but is only open two Saturdays a month for private visits. However, the foundation who run it will open for larger groups by prior arrangement, and if a large group are planning a visit to La Unión, then it’s well worth asking if this mine can be included in the schedule. Bear in mind that the Matildes mine is a good 15 minute drive from La Unión itself and private transport is required to visit it.

Schedule:
-Either park near to the Casa Piñon in the streets nearby or in the car park of the Parque Minero and walk back to start your visit in the Tourist Office to collect a map and leaflets of local restaurants offering a lunchtime menu. Click for Tourist Office La Unión

- Visit the Mining Museum in the Casa del Piñon. ( If you have time, there is also a flamenco museum in the same building). Click for Mining Museum

- Take a break for coffee and snack. There are plenty of cafés and bars en-route between the Mining Museum and Parque Minero, all along the Calle Mayor and in the Plaza Joaquín Costa in front of the old marketplace. The Ed’s favourite is behind the Casa del Piñon and in a small street off to the right heading towards the main town, and is a bodega selling wine from the barrel as well as a bar, highly atmospheric.

- Heading towards the Parque Minero, stop off to admire the former marketplace built in 1907 which is representative of the modernist style used at this time. In the floor in front of the marketplace are the names of some of the great flamenco artists who perform at the annual Cante de las Minas Flamenco Festival which is held in La Unión every year at the beginning of August.

- Turn right across the railway tracks, then follow the road around to the left to visit the Parque Minero. Conclude your visit by walking down through the park to see equipment used during the mining process which is on display in the open area.
Click for further information about the Parque Minero

- Have some lunch. A menu del día is excellent value and usually includes three courses plus drinks and coffee for anywhere between 9 and 14 euros. Leaflets are generally available at both the tourist office and Parque Minero from restaurants offering their services. The Tourist Office can assists groups seeking a suitable restaurant for pre-booking although many restaurants will have a board displaying their prices.

Points to note:
Disability and limited mobility
The Parque Minero is not recommended for those with mobility issues as the mine includes steps, and uneven surfaces. It is not possible to take a wheelchair into the mine. This excursion involves a reasonable level of walking.
Bookings
Booking is essential to visit the mine as visits will not be scheduled should there be insufficient numbers to make up a group.

Contact details:
Tourist Office Click for Tourist Office safe contact form and telephone details
Parque Minero . Call 968 002 140
reservas@parqueminerodelaunion.es

Private Guide:
Click for details of legal and qualified English language guides working in the Region of Murcia who are able to tailor-make guided routes in La Unión and can be contracted for large or small groups or private individuals: Click Tourist Guides

Click for further information about the La Unión municipality which also includes the pedanías of Portmán and Roche: La Unión