Lost Places In South Portugal: Deserted Copper Mine And Abandoned Serene Lake

After we left our camp of last night we drove to the city Beja where we went first to the vet to check on our dog Lotta because she had an allergic reaction on her skin. She got an injection of cortisone and a foam to calm her skin, hoping that she will get better in the next few days. 2 hours later and 80€ less we went to refill our water tank and stocking up supplies. Having some “Pastel De Nata“ shouldn’t be missed. Whenever it goes to grocery shopping, these delicious puff pastries we couldn’t skip. We even ate them directly at the parking lot of the supermarket.

Our next stop was not far away. As I remember it was only 1 hour drive to the deserted copper mine of São Domingos, which we wanted to visit since we saw some photos in the internet at home. Because this place looked for us not only unreal but also interesting with its abandoned mine buildings. The location can be accessed freely at any time and the ruins start close to the village but the more impressive part we found more remotely. We were able to drive through this area with “Lenny The Overlander” and after 15 minutes drive we reached this stunning, post-apocalyptic place you can see on the pics below. We pasted various pools with red water from the iron and acidic from the chemical buildup over years and barren fields. The mine was first used by the Phoenicians and the Romans, then the British reopened it in the 19th century. Due to the the growing demand of copper they build an entire village near the mines, including houses, offices, theatre, church, shops and sport facilities. In 1966, the mine was closed, which led to the demise of the prosperous village of Sāo Domingos and a large part of the population lost their livelihood.

I'm not sure if it was just imagination or if inhaling that strange sulfur smell made us feel uncomfortable. That’s why we decided to leave this place and to head to our next camp for that night, which was a serene lake.

Later I read that this mine and many others in this area still cause considerable environmental damage such as groundwater pollution. As we saw during our visit, the open pits are filled with red water which contains high levels of iron and copper and the PH value of the water is in the strong acidic range.

During heavy rains, the dissolved sulfates enter the nearby rivers, which also has an impact on the agriculture and vegetation in this area. It had rained heavily a few days ago, probably that's why it smelled so extremely of sulfur. It‘s so terrifying to see what we have done and what an impact it still has nowadays!

Our destination for this night was the nearby reservoir, which we drove along in north-west direction for a while to stay further away from the mine. The reservoir called Tapada Grande and in the summer time is it a popular place for fishing, motor boating and canoeing. But at the end of October this place is a lost place. Especially if you stay away from the bathing establishment „Praia Fluvial de Tapada Grande“.

As well in other places away from the public beach you can go swimming. We have searched for an interesting looking place via Google and we stumbled upon the most incredible campsite on our trip. Nestled right next to the serene lake we could set up our home directly at the shore of the lake. But when we arrived we had to take a swim first and Lotta has accompanied us. After a long day of travel it was exactly what we needed to cool-off and relax in the clear and fresh water. Afterwards we settled in for a well-deserved sundowner beer. Sitting next to the shore, enjoying the peaceful surroundings and reflecting on the beauty of our journey so far is the best way to unwind after a day of adventures.

Dani set up our rooftop tent and captured some amazing pictures from this stunning environment. We watched how the sunset dipped everything in light pink tones. Sunsets on the road are always a special moment.

But before it got too late I started to prepare dinner. During preparing I could observe how the sky changed its colours every minute. At the end it was a mixture of velvet to blue shades. It was an unforgettable moment not only because the natural beauty of this spot was truly awe-inspiring, but also because Dani captured them so briellently.

After dinner we climbed happily into our roof tent. Happy about having the opportunity being surrounded by nature and disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of our every day life. It’s a chance to slow down, appreciate the simple things and to recharge our batteries.

Waking up in the great outdoors is always a special experience, but this morning at the lake was really breathtaking. When we unzipped the tent we were greeted by a surreal scene as misty fog hovering over the glassy lake. The whole surrounding was converged in light mist and behind the fog the sun rose slowly and hidden, making everything look so silky.

We could hardly get away from this place. But the plan was to make some distance today. So after breakfast we left this unforgettable spot to leave the Portuguese-Spanish border region towards the southern coast. Our next destination would be a campsite near Silves. Because we really needed a hot shower. But before that we stopped in the village of Sāo Domingos to take some pictures of this cute historical town. It seemed that not much has changed after the closure of the mine in 1966 with its numerous small row houses probably belonged to the mine workers. You will find some nice street art as well.

Soon our round trip will end with the arrival at the Algarve. But we will stay a while at the Algarve, because we still would like to take advantage of the good surf conditions.

Looking forward to catch some waves and meet some good friends!

Love,

Katy

Pics by Daniell Bohnhof and me

Text by Look2 Ocean