Throughout the Spanish territory there are many places that hide a secret or a curious story. They are usually abandoned sites that arouse the curiosity of the traveler and sometimes make the skin stand on end. And it is that in some presumably paranormal experiences took place. Discover our selection of the 15 most mysterious abandoned places in Spain.
Royal Arms Factory of Orbaizeta, Navarra
This incredible place is located in the Aezkoa valley, 5 kilometers from the border between Navarra and France, in the heart of the Pyrenees. It was built on an old forge, since it is located near some iron mines and surrounded by forests whose wood could be used as a source of energy in the ovens. In addition, it was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2007 and can only be visited with a guide.
Ghost Hotel Atlante del Sol, Lanzarote
In the surroundings of the natural pools of Los Charcones, located not far from Playa Blanca, is the ghost hotel Atlante del Sol, which is in a complete state of abandonment and has been generating controversy for several years.
Palace of the Gosálvez, Cuenca
It is a French Versailles-style building, located in the Spanish municipality of Casas de BenÃtez, in the province of Cuenca. It was ordered to be built in 1902 by Enrique Gosálvez y Fuentes-Manresa together with other factories in the vicinity of the Júcar River. However, it was abandoned in the 1960s, due to the decline of the Gosálvez family and after the death in 1964 of Modesto Gosálvez and Fuentes Manresa. The palace and its surroundings were bought in 2006 to be restored and converted into a hotel complex, although the project has not yet started.
Ochate, Burgos
This space was depopulated in the 19th century and is famous because it is said that paranormal phenomena occur in it. In fact, in the 80s, the magazine ‘Unknown World’ published an article with a photo where an alleged UFO was flying over the town. Since then, fans of paranormal phenomena flock to this place, where some say cacophonies of a girl and her mother are heard.
Colony of Santa Eulalia, Alicante
Located between the municipalities of Sax and Villena, it was built at the end of the 19th century as a result of the colony law of 1868 and within the framework of utopian socialism. This town had all kinds of services: a theater, post office, gardens, warehouses, a school, a railway station, a casino, the palace of the counts, among others. However, it is currently abandoned, although in 2016 it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
District of Civica, Guadalajara
Nestled in the very wall of the mountain, CÃvica, a district of Brihuega, seems to come out of a fantasy story. This mysterious place was built on the steep slopes that the Tajuña River has eroded over the centuries. Those who devised it took advantage of the forms that nature itself had designed in the rocky wall, its caves and its cavities.
Tunnel of La Engaña, Cantabria
Located in the Cantabrian town of Vega de Pas, this tunnel is 6,976 meters long and is suitable for double track, although it was never used. Its construction began in the 1940s and involved more than 20 years of work, in addition to which more than 300 Republican inmates were used as slave labor. Franco’s idea was to link Vega de Pas (Cantabria) with Pedrosa de Valdeporres (Burgos) as part of the railway line that would connect Santander with the Mediterranean.
Granadilla, Caceres
An old medieval fiefdom currently considered one of the most beautiful abandoned towns in Spain. Its abandonment was precipitated due to the construction of the Gabriel y Galán reservoir, although its waters did not cover the old town. In 1980 it was declared a historic-artistic complex and in 1984 it was included in the Interministerial Program for Abandoned Towns for its revitalization. In addition, you can visit it for free from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., from April to October, and from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. :00 hours, from November to March.
Preventorium of Aigües, Alicante
Built in the 19th century in the municipality of Aguas de Busot, this architectural complex was built as a large hotel complex with all kinds of services. However, as a result of the Civil War, its activity stopped and it was transformed into a children’s sanatorium to treat tuberculosis. Although attempts have been made to resume its hotel activity, it is currently still abandoned.
Farmhouse of the Fraile, Almeria
Abandoned and in ruins, this imposing farmhouse located in the countryside of NÃjar (AlmerÃa), was one of the settings where the tragic story that inspired Federico GarcÃa Lorca to create “Bodas de sangre” unfolded. It belongs to the Red Heritage List due to its great state of deterioration, since the chapel, part of the perimeter façade and the walls of the outbuildings are barely preserved.
Convent of Our Lady of the Hoz, Segovia
In the Natural Park of the Hoces del RÃo Duratón, on one of the meanders that forms the watercourse, is this Franciscan convent. Founded in the 13th century, friars lived there who venerated and safeguarded Our Lady of the Angels of the Hoz. At the end of the 15th century there was a collapse, leaving only its church standing, so Queen Isabella the Catholic intervened in its reconstruction, who reserved her own room, as well as King Felipe II who later carried out an extension of the same. It can only be accessed when the river flows with little flow and in addition, in 2012 it was named an Asset of Cultural Interest.
Ceuras Sanatorium, A Coruña
This old medical center is located in the town of Samedes, in the Betanzos region. It was built in 1925, motivated by the decision to build two hospitals in the area for the treatment of tuberculosis. One by the sea, in A Lanzada, and another in the middle of the mountain. However, the lack of financing meant that the construction of this Samedes was never finished. Thus, it has been abandoned since 1936.
