Activity company · Olmos de Atapuerca
Mina Esperanza
Mina Esperanza is the former iron mine at Olmos de Atapuerca, about 3 km from the village of Atapuerca. It closed in 1973 and the Olmos Village Board (Junta Vecinal) began restoring it in 2007; it opened to the public in 2013. Today it is toured with a guide: galleries with lanterns, original wagons and rails, an underground mineral museum and, on one of the visits, a stretch by boat through flooded galleries.
What visits it offers
The basic visit, Underground Explorers (Exploradores del subsuelo), includes the outdoor route around the open-cast workings, levels -1 and -2, a talk on mining, the underground museum and a miner's wine: €10 for adults and €7 for ages 4 to 12, since March 2026; under-4s do not pay. Navigators of the Depths (Navegantes de la profundidad) adds the boat trip: €16 and €13, and under-4s may not board the boats. For organised groups and school parties there is The Mineral Forest (El bosque mineral), at €6 per person, and workshops.
How it works
There are sessions every day at 10:00, 12:00 and 16:30, lasting an hour and a half. Booking is required and a minimum of six people for the session to run; book from its website, on 947 421 714 or at [email protected]. On confirmation they send a map of the meeting point, signposted as Mina Esperanza. Inside it is between 10 and 14 ºC all year round.
What they run
- Olmos de Atapuerca Iron Mine Underground Explorers: galleries, mineral museum and miners' wine Book Navigators of the Deep: the visit with a boat trip through flooded galleries Book
Practical details
- Address
- Olmos de Atapuerca, Burgos
- Phone
- +34 947 421 714
- [email protected]
- Website
- minaesperanza.com
- Opening hours
- Mon–Sun10:00–11:30 and 12:00–13:30 and 16:30–18:00
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book?
Yes, always, and the session runs with a minimum of six people.
Can small children go?
Yes; under-4s do not pay on the basic visit, but cannot board the boats.
How long does it last?
An hour and a half.
