Parque Mineiro de Aljustrel

The Parque Mineiro de Aljustrel opened on 4 December 2023. It’s run by the town council and links several old mine sites on one guided route. Aljustrel calls itself one of the oldest mining areas in the world that is still working: people have taken metal from the ground here since the Chalcolithic, roughly 5,000 years ago. The Romans ran a mining settlement called Vipasca, and a modern mine still operates today.

Visits start at the reception and interpretation centre, known as the CRIPMA. According to a 2024 article in Alentejo Ilustrado, a terrace there looks out over the mine dam, the old miners’ neighbourhoods, a tall chimney once used to burn pyrite, and three surviving winding towers (malacates), the frames that lowered miners and hauled ore up the shafts.

From there the guided circuit, about 2 kilometres in all, visits the stops below.

The compressor station

This was the power house that pushed compressed air down into the mine to drive drills and tools. It closed in 1992, and the equipment has been restored. Children who like engines can see the size of the machines it took to keep a mine running.

The Chapéu de Ferro walkways

The Chapéu de Ferro (“iron hat”) is a hill of rock so heavily oxidised that it has turned rusty red and orange. Geologists call a cap like this a gossan: it forms when water and air attack the metal ores near the surface. Walkways take you across it, and the park says it holds Roman archaeological remains as well as geology.

The level 30 gallery

The Galeria Mineira do Piso 30 is the high point of the visit. A modern lift takes you 30 metres down (the old wooden headframe is too decayed to use), and you walk through tunnels where the guide explains how miners drilled, used explosives and moved ore on a narrow-gauge railway. The council’s circuit description also names the Galeria de Algares, and says the underground part is only open to children over 6.

Aljustrel sits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, a strip of metal-rich rock that stretches from the Sado valley near Setúbal to Seville in Spain. The ores hold copper, zinc, lead and sulphur. A bronze plate inscribed with Roman mining law was found here, and it is now in the Museu Geológico in Lisbon along with straw baskets, hats and sandal soles worn by Roman miners at Vipasca.

The Tour Mineiro 5 ticket adds the miners’ neighbourhoods and the Museu Municipal de Aljustrel to the park circuit. The council also lists the old miners’ choir, the Grupo Coral dos Mineiros, among the reasons to visit, along with the Roman archaeology and several geological sites.

Over-6s get the full visit, including the gallery. Younger children can’t go underground, so with a toddler or preschooler you would only see the surface stops, and the 2-kilometre walk with a buggy is not something the council describes as buggy friendly. Eight- to twelve-year-olds tend to get the most out of it: the lift, the tunnels and the machines are exciting, and the history is easy to follow with a guide. Teenagers interested in geology, chemistry or engineering will find plenty to ask about.

Summer is the hard part. The council warns about the high temperatures in Aljustrel and says routes may be cut short between May and September. It asks visitors to bring hats, light clothes, water and sun cream. In recent summers the park has also cancelled guided visits on some July and August days because staff were running the council’s holiday club, so check the park page for notices before you drive out. An autumn, winter or spring morning visit is much more comfortable.

Guided visits leave Tuesday to Sunday at 9:30 and 14:30, and there are none on Mondays. The council asks visitors to book ahead and says anyone who turns up late may lose the visit without a refund. Walk-ins are taken only if there is room.

When we checked, the full Parque Mineiro circuit (reception centre, compressor station, Chapéu de Ferro and the level 30 gallery) cost €6 for ages 6 to 17 and €10 for adults, with the gallery alone priced the same. Entry to the reception centre only was €1 to €2. Tour Mineiro 5, which adds the museum and neighbourhoods, was €8 for young people and €12 for adults. Under-3s are free on every ticket, and residents of Aljustrel municipality get 50% off. The table also has senior, family (up to two adults with children up to 17) and group columns, but the layout makes them hard to match, so ask for the family price when you book.

In the same part of the Alentejo, Centro Ciência Viva do Lousal is another old mine with a science centre and its own underground gallery. Further south-east, the abandoned copper mine at Mina de São Domingos shows what a big mine looks like after it closes. For a deeper mine, the Loulé salt mine in the Algarve goes 230 metres down.

How old do children need to be to go into the Aljustrel mine gallery?

Over 6. The council’s page says visits to the underground gallery are limited to children older than 6.

Do you need to book the Parque Mineiro de Aljustrel?

Yes, it’s strongly advised. Guided visits leave at fixed times and walk-ins only go if there is space. Book on +351 284 009 131 or parquemineiro@mun-aljustrel.pt.

How long does the visit take?

The guided circuit is about 2 km, so allow a morning or an afternoon. Visits start at 9:30 or 14:30.

Is it open on Mondays?

No. Guided visits run Tuesday to Sunday only.

Is it too hot in summer?

It can be. The council shortens routes in hot weather between May and September, and cancels some July and August dates, so go early and bring water and hats.