Today, that same hole is a lake, and it has a sandy beach, deer roaming the shores, and people kayaking across the clear turquoise water. There’s a hole in the ground in northern Spain that once swallowed mining trucks whole. It’s Lake As Pontes, a former coal mine in Galicia that is now one of the biggest lakes in the country. And Pontes is one of the best examples of this concept.
In a 2022 paper in Mine Water and the Environment, the authors note that abandoned mines can often serve as “beneficial end uses” such as recreational centers and habitats for wildlife if the entire process of mine closure is planned effectively right from the start.
Digging a pit and filling it with water might sound simple enough. But it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Turning a mining pit into a usable lake requires lots of planning, effort, and time: reshaping unstable hillsides, water management, and letting nature restore itself on its own. This matters even if you have never been to Galicia. A meta-analysis in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that being around lakes, rivers, and coastal areas was associated with decreased stress and increased positive emotions and physical activity. The paper’s authors add that the presence of water bodies not only creates an aesthetic experience but also provides restorative benefits for the mind. The study explains why As Pontes is more than just an environmental success on paper. It has become a successful recreational location, and while it was a coal mining town in the past that generated money from mining, it now draws people for water sports such as canoeing.
The same 2022 study warns that mining pits left unmanaged often become polluted, highly acidic lakes.
Having access to water bodies, referred to as “blue space” by researchers, seems to provide real health benefits. Tourism Councilor Elena López has described the shift in similar terms, telling Endesa’s own press materials that the lake’s Blue Flag certification “is very important for the unique space concerned,” part of the town’s broader move from an industrial identity toward a tourism-driven one.
