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. 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.
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.
Production ceased at the mine in December 2007. The following year, in 2008, Endesa decided to flood the pit and rehabilitate the surrounding land instead of leaving it as an open scar. The same 2022 study warns that mining pits left unmanaged often become polluted, highly acidic lakes. By 2022, the lake had become the second-largest area of inland water in Galicia and the largest in A Coruña, having won a Blue Flag in that year, an environmental certificate issued by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
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. Tighter European Union rules on emissions led to the eventual closure of the mine. José Antonio Menéndez, who was the last director of the mine, explains that while industrial activities tend to affect the environment, such damage can be avoided when the final objective is known, and the work is planned from the very 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. In As Pontes, however, this patience proved to be worthwhile. Belén Soto, the Head of Environment at Endesa, clarifies that after many years of restoration work, four different ecosystems have been created near the lake. Meadow, scrub, wood, and wetlands sit there in addition to the lake itself, which developed alongside local wildlife , including deer. 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.
