Arouca Geopark - Regoufe Mines | Portugal

Hello everyone :)

Today we are going to take a walk through a place that, despite being in the middle of nature, is a little different from the landscape that i have covered in previous articles.
In one of the previous articles i presented a small village that is at the center of the entire surrounding space of which this space that i share today is a part.

In that same article i made reference to Serra da Freita and to several wonderful records that we can find there, but if i'm not mistaken, i didn't make reference to these milestones in history, and when i highlight them as milestones, you'll already understand what i'm referring to.

Today we're going to take a walk around the "Mina de Regoufe" (Regoufe Mine), also known as the "Poça da Cadela".
There is not much to deceive, from the name it is easily noticeable that it is a mining extraction site, and from the photos it will also be easily noticeable that the mines are abandoned and all traces of human presence are in ruins, currently serving only as a historical setting to those who goes there.
Now in relation to the historic landmark and how this place enters recent history, unfortunately linked to a bad period in our history as humanity.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, several places of metallurgical interest had already been signaled in this mountain range, and since 1915 that this area was explored by a Frenchman, but it was only in 1941, during the 2nd World War, that mining prospecting had a enormous growth supported by foreign investment, mainly British and German, in what was known as the wolfram rush, an abundant mineral in this region and necessary in the war effort for the production of armaments.

The most curious must be wondering.... but then during the war, both the British and the Germans were supplied in the same place? that's right, during this period Portugal remained neutral, which allowed doing business with both parties.
The place is not very extensive, not least because the real action took place underground under the mountains.

From a high point it is easier to get an idea of the layout of the complex, where it is still possible to identify some administrative facilities such as the 2 floors building, laundry, bedrooms and even the ore washing tanks still arranged on the slope.
Along the way it is possible to see some of the holes that give access to the interior of the mountain, directly to the mines.
It was strange that they found themselves with open gates, at least those i had the opportunity to approach, but i want to believe that these do not present any danger to those more adventurous who do not just stop at the entrance line, which was our case.

It is also possible to visualize some lines of water that flow from inside the mines and end up forming small streams that flow down the mountain.
Right in the center of the complex there is a small football field, which it is only possible to identify or assign such a purpose due to the old goals that are installed there, which i ended up not realizing if it was something that had been installed in that place recently or if it had been something used by those who worked there to do some sport.

Today, in that place it is already possible to see some electrical installations and roads that give access to small villages in the surroundings, but this development was the result of the investment that was made there with the purpose of extracting the much desired mineral from the soil.
It was a pleasant walk due to the senerity of the place and the wonderful view of everything around us, but i have to be honest, the Mine itself and the ruins that remain, give it a slightly strange feeling.
It seems that even though we are alone, we are being watched, difficult to explain.

That´s all for today, i hope you liked this trip :)

Photo by @aleister
Camera - Canon EOS 600D
Drone - DJI Mini 2
Lens - EFS 18-55mm / 70-300mm
Location - Portugal

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Value your time, because every fraction counts, and the price of anything is the amount of life you trade for it.
May the memories of the travels be eternalized in the photographs, and may the photographs transport us back to the travels ;)