| Apparently,
more than 300 million cubic metres of soil were extracted
in order to obtain around 800,000 kilograms of the precious
mineral. Over the ages the area, far from becoming a desert,
has been transformed into an ecological site of magical beauty
by debris from the mine.
The lookout of Orellán commands a
magnificent panorama of Las Médulas. The view takes
in the clearings and the hidraulic network as well as the
archeological sites. The contrast between the vegetal species
that grow on the valley and those on the mountain slopes
can also be seen. The large mine entrance that appears to
the right is one of the galleries that was hollowed out
of the mountainside, through which water run and eroded
the alluvial mass. The gold was obtained by washing out
the sludge.
The varied vegetation of the area consists
mainly of chestnuts trees. There are also thickets of heather,
Cytisus scoparius and "Carqueixa". The fauna is
represented by wolfs, wild boars, partridges and rabbits.
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