Mina del Mimbre Trail. Mineras de Linares Routes – PR-A 263

The Mina de la Mimbre Trail - PR-A 263 starts at the Virgen de Linarejos Hermitage and continues along the Minas de Plomo Greenway, which used to be part of the old Linares-Los Salidos railway line which, flanked by olive trees, leads to the Fundición San Luis foundry. After passing the foundry, the trail leaves the Greenway and, to the right, takes a worn-out lane which has as a landmark, after 50 metres, a ruined house with three eucalyptus trees.

After a bend to the left, the lane meets an olive grove, but this does not prevent you from passing through, then follow on to the left until you reach the Greenway that links the Fundición de la Cruz foundry with mine shaft 4 and Linares. This place is known as Cristo del Valle, or Christ of the Valley.

20 metres on, to the left, on the other side of the track there is an old hut in ruins with rocks piled up to its side, blocking and covering an old path that goes down to the El Calvario mine shaft, surrounded by vegetation and with its impressive headframe base and chimney.

Continue along a narrow lane that leads to the del Mimbre Mine, where we will have to be especially careful not to stray from the path, due to the various land collapses that you can see. This mine is one of the oldest in the district; it already had a significant production level in the 17th century.

Further on, the trail connects with the Cuesta de Mimbre slope and the la Garza trail, PR-A 262. Follow this stretch where the two trails run alongside each other, until you reach a tight bend before the top of the slope, where the PR-A 262 splits off to the right towards the Lavadero Arrayanes mineral processing plant. Follow the route without leaving the main track, in a southerly direction, until you reach a junction near the ruins of two large houses, where you leave the track to go straight ahead up the path that leads to the San Vicente mine shaft, the deepest in the district, whose stone headframe especially stands out.

Later on, the path crosses the Greenway, very close to the Fundición San Luis foundry. Without changing direction, a wide lane on the other side of the track continues up to the Virgen de Linarejos Hermitage, the starting point of the trail.