The First Underwater Mine in Europe is Visited at This Beautiful Beach in Asturias

The picturesque region of Asturias, with its vibrant greens and blues, has long been marked by the color of the underground as well. Being one of the first places to experience the industrial revolution in Europe, the principality was no stranger to the art of exploiting the rich world beneath the surface; mining has been in its DNA since prehistory. Its history is marked by the mining operations, machinery, and engineering that made the extraction of materials such as coal, as well as others like gold, lead, or clay, possible. Asturias boasted hundreds of mines and deposits, many of which, now closed, have become museums showcasing a valuable industrial heritage. Among them is the first vertical shaft deepened in the principality, which was operational until 1915, offering wonderful views of the wild coast, and closely associated with water like the Asturian village that can only be accessed by a hanging bridge from Galicia.

This curious building located on a small beach in Asturias holds many titles. It is home to the oldest mineral coal exploitation in the Iberian Peninsula, the only underwater mine in Europe, and the oldest vertical shaft in Asturias. Additionally, if readers discover that it is situated on the privileged coastline of the municipality of Castrillón, all the better. Closed in 1915, the Arnao Mine was declared a Cultural Heritage Site due to its high heritage value.

In addition to the previously mentioned titles, there are others that we should not overlook: it was also the first mining site to use a railway in Spain, a fact dating back to 1836; as well as the first Spanish mine to employ women and the first worker settlement next to a mine. Moreover, it was used as a "guinea pig" for various extraction methods later implemented in other operations, such as blasting with explosives or iron pathways.

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Located on a cliff in Castrillón, with the Arnao beach at its feet, this vein dates back to 1591 when, according to history, the monk Agustín Montero requested permission from Philip II to exploit the site, but his efforts were unsuccessful due to the difficulties of extracting material with the means available at the time. It was centuries later that it became possible to dig 80 meters below the surface, creating an underwater gallery of about 250 meters and others that would stretch several kilometers.

Not only that, but the first animal-drawn railway in the country was built, connecting the mine to a wharf, thus inaugurating the first shipment of Asturian coal by sea, which would reach Almería in 1835. A zinc smelter was also created to process the tons of extracted material, which Queen Isabella II herself would visit, and the railway was extended to Avilés in the late 19th century with the famous locomotive Eleonore, now on display at the site.

The first miners who arrived at the Arnao mine were farmers and fishermen who knew little of the trade. Before the curious wooden headframe was constructed, workers slid down barrels tied together, and children squeezed through the narrow galleries to bring them water and food. Oxen operated the machines that lifted the ore, and women transported and sorted it.

All of them lived in a settlement next to the mine under somewhat precarious conditions until successive infiltrations of seawater in the galleries and labor unrest caused the Arnao mine to permanently close its doors after a major flood in 1915. All of this can now be learned in those same facilities, which opened as a museum in 2013, at a site that, after ceasing operations, had become a workers' casino.

Known also as the "grandfather shaft" (pozo güelu), this emblematic mining complex consists not only of a curious wooden headframe, the first vertical shaft, but also of the engine house and two other sections to the east and south of it. Through models, objects, audiovisuals, and photographs, visitors can learn about the history of the mine, its first women - Victoria, Josefa, and Teresa - the quantity of material extracted, or the working conditions and demands of its workers.

A guided visit also allows guests to descend 20 meters into the mine in an original cage to see remnants such as an old forge or the 19th-century brick and limestone vaults of the galleries, where miners left marks to orient themselves. Outside, the mining settlement also offers a glimpse into the lives of families outside the mine, visiting the school and the homes.

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