Man-made Bryce: Spain's Las Medulas

One day we took a break from the camino to hike in through the surreal orange formations of Spain’s Las Medulas.

Although this looks like Utah’s Bryce Canyon, it’s actually MAN MADE! This was once the most important gold mining area in Roman times. To extract the gold, the Romans honeycombed the hills with canals and tunnels through which they pumped water to break up the rock, freeing the gold within (see diagram below). The result is a singularly unnatural natural phenomenon.

We hiked along trails through its hills, and explored the many caves and strange sculpted rock formations.



At right is a photo of the mountain just behind the Las Medulas mountains. This is most probably an exact replica of what the Las Medulas mountains looked like before the Romans built their mines.

This was a fascinating site to behold in person given the immensity. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, further proving my theory that visiting World Heritage Sites should be my sole life ambition. (Okay, just kidding, but I really do want to see more of them!)

To hike in the Las Medulas, we stayed in the nearby town of the same name—a charming little place with lots of wildflowers, old buildings, and scenic little roads to explore.