Limarinho Mines, Bobadela

Located East of the Calvão stream,  the exploration front of the Limarinho corresponds to an open pit gold mine, operated extensively between the mid-1th century and the 4th century. Entering through the large trench, that from the stream margins provides access to the core of the mine, it is possible to observe, with great detail, one of the most spectacular mining sceneriesstill existing in the upper valley of Terva river. Here gather large open pit fronts, residual pyramids, trenches, vertical shafts and galleries, which progressfrom the Limarinho pond, itself a result from the mining operations. The extractive activity was discontinued around the 4th century. There has been occasional interest in the resumption of the exploration throughout various times in history, however, there is no physical evidence once so ever that these attempts have given way to a new organized and intensive exploitation of mineral resources in this area. Limarinho's mines are currently covered by woods of oak, being habitat for one of the largest communities in the country of European Pond Turtle. One of the PAVT’s heritage observatories is located amongst the Limarinho’s pond margins, from which you can clearly understand the impact and the landscape transformation operated by human hand, revealingone of the largest proto-industrialized gold mines of the classical antiquity in the Iberian Peninsula. The Limarinho Mines integrate the classified defined  by the Portuguese Government as Public Interest Site, promulgated by ministerial order No. 386/2013 (DR, 2nd Series, no. 115 of June 18, 2013), due to its uniqueness and as a fundamental part of the Ancient Mining Complex of the upper Valley of the Tervariver, in Boticas.