Geossítio 15 Yellow Feather Mines
In search of black gold!
In the area of Minas da Pena Amarela there are dozens of mine shafts that bear witness to former clandestine exploitation.These can be seen from a panoramic viewpoint or by following the PR8 short-route geotourist footpath, known as the “Black Gold Route”.
These mines were exploited by the “pilhas”, mainly from Aroquois, at the time of the so-called “Wolfram Fever”. At the height of the Second World War, the “pilhas” ventured out to open up the hard rock with their arms and pickaxes, hoping to find the “black gold” (the name given to the wolframite minerals from which wolfram is obtained) that would enable them to make a small fortune. These mines have been abandoned since 1988.
In addition to all the historical and mining significance that can be felt here, the scenic arrangement of the surrounding landscape is also unforgettable. The landscape is marked by steep-sided valleys where crystal-clear waters flow, such as the Covela stream and the Pena Amarela stream (an important canyoning trail in the Arouca Geopark), which converge nearby. The mythical “Zemou Half Marathon”, “Aventurança do Cando” and “Ultra Trail da Serra da Freita” trail races pass through the Pena Amarela Mines.
Este geossítio faz parte do itinerário B: Through the mines and unknown corners of Paiva.
Saiba mais sobre a Rota dos Geossítios .
Informação Geológica
The exploitation of the Pena Amarela Mines is related to the exploitation of tungsten and tin that took place in the Arouca region in the past and which are part of a series of deposits that occur from Galicia to Castile (Spain), crossing the north and center of Portugal, defining the so-called “Iberian tungsten-tin metallogenetic province”. This makes Portugal the richest country in Europe for this mineral, which is used in the manufacture of arms and ammunition.
In 1953, these mines were granted concessions, and a license was obtained for the so-called Pena Amarela No. 1 and Pena Amarela No. 2. The lack of outlets for the product led, like all the other tungsten mines in Arouca, to their abandonment in 1988.
Interesses
Geomorfológico 
Mineralógico 
Mineiro 
Natura 2000
Uso
Educativo Relevância
Regional 
