Mina Costanaza Logrosán

Useful Information

Location:	Ctra. Guadalupe, 11, 10120 Logrosán, Cáceres. From Cáceres A-58 to Trujillo, then E-90 south exit 253 Trujillo, EX-208 to Zorita, left on EX-102 to Logrosán, turn right at roundabout. (39.335419, -5.484636)
Open:	All year Mon-Sat 10-14, 17-19, Sun, Hol 10-14. Closed 24-DEC, 25-DEC, 31-DEC, 01-JAN, 06-JAN, 07-JAN, Easter Monday. Reservation mandatory. [2023]
Fee:	Adults EUR 8, Children (0-16) EUR 5, Seniors EUR 6, Unemployed EUR 6, Disabled EUR 6. Locals: Adults EUR 4, Children (0-16) EUR 2. Groups (25+): Adults EUR 6, Children (0-16) EUR 3. [2020]
Classification:	Phosphate Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System Villuercas Ibores Jara, Geoparque Mundial de la UNESCO
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=2 h.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Mina Costanaza Logrosán, Ctra. Guadalupe, 11, 10120 Logrosán, Cáceres, Tel: +34-927-360180. E-mail: Villuercas Ibores Jara, UNESCO Global Geopark, C/Paseo de Extremadura 6. 10136 Cañamero (Cáceres), Tel: +34-927-36-94-29. 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

1863	mine opened as open cast mine.
1877	mines closed.
1907	beginning of underground mining.
1944	mine closed.

Geology

600 Ma ago the Logrosán Batholith ascended into the pre-existing Neoproterozoic rocks. This caused large fractures into which mineralized phosphate fluids were injected by the magma. The large faults were filled with crystallized fluids, and are called a dam or seam. The phosphorite vein of the Costanaza Mine is one of the most easily recognizable filonian deposits in Spain. The phosphate was raw material for the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers in Europe.

In Mina Costanaza fluorapatite was discovered which makes Logrosán the Type Locality for this mineral.

Description

The Mina Costanaza is 210 m deep and has 14 different levels. It consists of numerous parallel galleries. Two tunnels were renovated and opened to the public for underground mine tours. On the tour geologic features like the mineralized phosphorite seam, breccia zones, folds, and fault mirrors can be seen. Quite exceptional are geodes and stalactites. But the mining technology is als explained, for example, mining support arches and a masonry master pit. The original mining facilities on the surface are well-preserved and include the fines factory, the superphosphate factory, the pyrite cooker and the mine laboratory.

At Costanaza, the miners mined upwards. After digging a tunnel into the seam, they followed the seam upwards. As a result, they just loosened the minerals, and then they fell down into the carts. The carts were pushed by the men to the elevator and back. They were also used to transport water out of the mine.

The underground mining lasted only for less than 40 years. In the end, the mine was 210 m deep and had 13 levels. The main shaft, Maria Shaft, is only 167 m deep and was the backbone of the Costanaza Mine. It had a wooden headframe which is not preserved and two cages. The Magdalena Shaft was the deepest and reached the lowest level.

The site has numerous buildings of the old mine. One is used for the Centro de Interpretación (Interpretation Centre), which is the visitor center, ticket office and meeting point. It also has an exhibition which explains the transformation process (washing, crushing, transport...) and the chemical processes involved (ore grade, sulphuric acid production and mixing to obtain superphosphate). It has an audiovisual presentation on some of the everyday aspects such as wages, clothing and the illnesses suffered by the miners. It is located in the former mining laboratory.

Another building hosts the useo Geológico y Minero Vicente Sos Baynat (Vicente Sos Baynat Geological and Mining Museum). It is a branch of the former Logrosán Museum, now the Logrosán Archive. It has different collections of minerals, including an educational collection, a collection of minerals from around the world, a collection of minerals from Extremadura, and a collection of minerals from Logrosán. It was named after the palaeontologist Vicente Sos Baynat. There is an exhibition about his life and the fossils of Las Villuercas.

The underground polvorín (powder magazine) is located in the trench of the Mine. It hosts the Sala Negra (Black Room) with about 200 mineral specimens under ultraviolet light. With this light the minerals are fluorescing in different colours, white from spathic calcite, red from corundum, green from autunite, and yellow from wernerite