Vales Mine (Círio Mines), Valezim, Seia, Guarda, Portugali
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Vales Mine (Círio Mines) | Mine (Abandoned) |
| Valezim | Civil Parish |
| Seia | Municipality |
| Guarda | Municipality |
| Portugal | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
40° 21' 59'' North , 7° 44' 15'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Abandoned) - last checked 2025
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Sazes da Beira | 283 (2018) | 1.9km |
| São Romão | 6,500 (2018) | 4.3km |
| Seia | 7,082 (2014) | 5.9km |
| Loriga | 1,053 (2018) | 6.1km |
| Vide | 761 (2018) | 8.8km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Minas do Círio
Mining concession No. 2055 – Vales (W–Sn), registered on 27 January 1943.
Locally known as the “Círio Mines” (Minas do Círio).
Locally known as the Círio Mines (Minas do Círio), this mining operation formed part of the Vales concession (No. 2055), established for the extraction of tungsten and tin. The concession was officially registered on 27 January 1943, during a period when demand for tungsten rose sharply as a result of the Second World War.
The ore bodies are associated with inclined quartz veins developed along the contact zone between the granites of the Serra da Estrela and Cambrian schist formations. Underground workings consisted of several levels of galleries driven along the hillside, with a vertical spacing of approximately 40 metres between them.
The different levels were interconnected by internal shafts that served both to improve ventilation and to facilitate the transfer of ore to the lower haulage galleries. There, the extracted material was loaded into mine carts and transported to the surface.
Waste material and part of the surrounding host rock removed during mining operations were used as backfill to occupy underground voids. At the surface, the ore underwent crushing and washing processes to concentrate the valuable minerals. The areas where these activities took place remain visibly affected today, as the accumulation of metal-rich residues and other chemical compounds has limited vegetation growth.
Although mining activity has long ceased, remnants of the operation can still be seen, including the ruins of buildings and industrial equipment associated with extraction and ore processing.
To reach these mines, the Aldeias de Montanha website recommends following the Círio Mines Trail (Rota das Minas do Círio).
Commodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.List of minerals for each chemical element
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
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