A geological landmark is a site on the Earth's surface that has special features related to its geological formation. These places are considered unique because they show natural processes and changes in the earth's crust over millions of years. In Spain we have numerous geological destinations of interest quite striking and worth visiting.
In this article we are going to tell you which are the best destinations of geological interest in Spain and where you can see them.
The best destinations of geological interest in Spain
Las Lloras Geopark (Palencia, Burgos)
Separated by river canyons, the area is a vast limestone wasteland where the Lora once served as a refuge for many peoples and cultures. In these areas, the spectacular geological landscapes are accompanied by a rich culture, such as Romanesque churches, cave monasteries or well-preserved popular buildings.
The high level of geological interest is evidenced by the grandeur and diversity of its geological formations, which include crags, limestone swamps, structural reliefs, river canyons, large alpine fold structures, oil fields, faults, and diapirs. Understanding these aspects allows us to appreciate the geological context of the Pyrenees and other similar formations, as well as the geological interest of the Black Mountains.
Fossils of Monsagro (Salamanca)
The City Council of Monsagro, a mountain town within the Baducas-Monts-de-France Natural Park, has developed two paleontological outreach projects: the Geographical Route of Fossil Traces in the Urban Area, aimed at discovering and interpreting the traces of different creatures from hundreds of millions of years ago can be seen in the rocks that adorned houses, streets and fountains, and there is also a modern museum of ancient oceans that allows to understand the evolution of the earth and the origin of the traces of marine fossils.
The geological interest is based on the abundance of Cruzianas (traces of trilobites crawling on the seabed) and other fossils that have been added as architectural elements to many of the town's buildings, constituting a curious ethnopaleontological phenomenon. These fossils are an excellent example of how the oceanographic phenomena in geology, as well as the importance of the archipelagos in the geological study.
Jerte Valley (Cáceres)
Located in the northeast of the province of Cáceres, this valley is carved out of a granite base and takes its name from the river that runs through it. Its morphology is the result of the activity of the Mesegiana-Plasencia fault, subsequent block tectonics, and the numerous climatic oscillations that occurred during the Quaternary. Diabase dikes appear along the valley, the size of which is comparable to that of the Iberian Peninsula.
Some of the scenic spots include canyons and beautiful waterfalls, as well as natural pools with lush vegetation, such as Garganta de los Infiernos (Natural Reserve), Garganta de las Nogaledas and its waterfalls, Garganta de los Infiernos (Natural Reserve), de Bonnard with its Caso Waterfalls and Garganta de Marta among others. These types of natural formations can be compared to the differences between waterfalls and cataracts that we find in other geological destinations, which adds significant scenic value to these routes.
Santa Marta de los Barros Mine (Badajoz)
Santa Marta was a very important mining town at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Its lead and zinc mines are intensively exploited through underground shafts and roads. Although galena and sphalerite are the main industrially mined minerals, its mineral associations include other minerals such as vanadite, a vanadium mineral.
Santa Marta de los Barros has an important mining industrial heritage centered around its mines (Los Llanos, Constante, Reserva, etc.) and, due to its rarity, also possesses a special mineral of typical origin: volcanic ash pyroxene. A visit to the Mining Geology Museum allows you to learn more about the minerals related to mining and the geology of the area, similar to what can be found at the , where various minerals from the region are exhibited.
In its Museum of Mining Geology you can see elements and mining implements, rocks, fossils and, of course, minerals and precious stones from all over the world.
Abandoned bridge and riverbed in Coria (Cáceres)
Located on the banks of the Aragón River, Coria, known in Roman times as Caurium, has preserved an important archaeological and architectural heritage and is currently an important tourist center.
From a geological point of view, the surroundings of the city present curious elements such as a Renaissance bridge (built in 1518) that It currently stands on the bed left by the Aragón river, a fact that occurred in 1590, although some writings refer to the period 1647-1661. Both appointments addressed the abandonment of river beds due to sediment transport.
This phenomenon is known in sedimentary geology and fluvial geomorphology as avulsions, the rapid abandonment of channel channels and the formation of new channel channels due to readjustment during the Great Flood. In this sense, understanding the geomorphological phenomena is key to understanding the geological landscape of the region.
Cerro Gordo Volcano (Ciudad Real)
You have the opportunity to visit the interior of a volcano and discover the geological secrets of the earth. It was the first visitable volcano in the Iberian Peninsula.
Located in Campo de Calatrava, with 330 volcanic structures. You can observe the internal structure of the volcano and its dynamics throughout its life cycle. It is a reflection of the volcanic surface of the inner plates from the Late Miocene (8,5 to 6,5 million years ago) and continued into the Middle Pleistocene. It is produced by the appearance of hot spots in the earth's crust due to magma flows. All this with an explanatory panel that is easy to understand and suitable for all ages.
Torcas de Palancares (Cuenca)
It is a geological route with a very special character, where you can observe the impact of the karstic process on the surface, all in a route with interpretive signage, in a comfortable route suitable for all ages, in the middle of nature. It is one of the best destinations of geological interest in Spain.
One of the most characteristic forms of erosion can be observed in carbonate materials: sinkholes or torques. It is the superficial reflection of the karstification process; that is to say, groundwater and atmospheric water erode the rock, dissolving carbonate material and causing the rock to collapse. To better understand these processes, it is useful to understand how islands form and their relationship to geological changes.
Cape Ortegar (Coruña)
Throughout Galicia it is difficult to find a tour that, despite its short duration, contemplates the almost complete geological history of the region. From the first phase of the collision of Gondwana and Laurus to the formation of Pangea, where Galicia and Cabo Ortegal are formed by the agglomeration of all the geological material exposed in the vertical direction of this nearly 600-meter-high cliff, formed by accumulation .
Most notable is this gigantic geographic feature, the cliff, which was formed when Pangea broke up 200 million years ago and remains today with only minor changes, scars from when the giant continent broke apart. Since then, in addition to continuing to separate the Atlantic Ocean, there have been continuous and intermittent landslides produced by circular or parallel landslides. The formation of the San André de Tesido Valley was one of the consequences of these landslides.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the best destinations of geological interest in Spain.