Spain is packed with crumbling ruins – prehistoric, ancient Roman and medieval – but some are more historic than others. From forgotten gold mines and deserted monasteries to nightclubs left to the elements, there's a whole host of eerie abandoned places that are worth your attention. We’ve scoured the country – from the mainland to the islands – to bring you Spain’s most fascinating deserted spots.
Click through this gallery to discover 24 abandoned sites in Spain that anyone can visit…
The Presa El Gasco (El Gasco Dam) is a great example of an 18th-century engineering project that didn’t work out. Had it been completed, the 173-foot-tall (53m) structure would have been the world’s largest gravity dam, designed in 1785 to provide water for Madrid via a canal. Financial problems and severe storm damage saw the project abandoned, and the dam soon became obsolete anyway. Today, the haunting, overgrown structure can be reached via a 90-minute hike from Torrelodones.
If you want to visit a ghost town in Spain, head to this medieval village a half-hour drive from Plasencia. It was forcibly evacuated in the 1960s after it was deemed a flood risk during the construction of the Gabriel y Galán dam and reservoir. The fears were unjustified and the village never actually flooded, but the residents never returned. In 1980, the village was declared a Site of Historic and Artistic Interest and you can visit it today. Its most striking feature is the 15th-century castle, which you can climb for panoramic views.
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It’s hard to imagine that this ghost village was once a thriving community. A 15-minute drive from the hilltop town of Aínsa, the derelict stone buildings of Jánovas were abandoned in the 1960s when locals were forced from their homes to make way for a dam and reservoir. The abandoned houses fell into disrepair while the dam was never built. Its construction was only officially cancelled in 2005. There are no official tours but visitors can wander the crumbling remains of the village, some of which is now being rebuilt.
Carved out of natural granite, the Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas is one of Spain’s oldest monasteries, dating back to the 6th century. Located near the town of Esgos in Galicia, its church, chapels and monastic cells remain stunning examples of rock-hewn architecture. The monastery was never especially wealthy or populated, but today is a fascinating testament to early Christian monastic life. Visitors can explore the cave-like buildings, complete with bell towers, tombs and ancient altars.
The Rodalquilar Gold Mine, in Andalucia’s Almería province, was a hive of activity prior to its abandonment in 1966. Set in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, the mine was known for its innovative methods of extracting gold from quartz. Despite initial success, the state-run enterprise failed to meet expectations and today it’s a hauntingly beautiful ruin, complete with remnants of the processing plant, mine tunnels and equipment. It’s since been used as a filming location, starring as a post-apocalyptic prison camp in 1986's Solarbabies and medieval England in 2003's The Reckoning.
In the 1940s, the architect Marrero Regalado designed a quarantine colony on the island of Tenerife to isolate people suffering from leprosy and tuberculosis. As well as a residential area, the planned Abades Leper Colony of Arico was to include a church, a hospital, a crematorium and offices. It took six years to build but was abandoned in the 1950s without ever housing a single patient, thanks to advancements in leprosy treatment. Today, the eerie, decrepit buildings are an atmospheric reminder of a grim past.
Built on Dícido Beach in northern Spain in 1896, the Dícido Cargadero de Mineral was an industrial dock used for loading mined iron ore onto ships destined for large ironworking companies. The original cantilever was built in 1896 but was blown up in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. The current structure was built a year later and operated until 1986 when the town council purchased it for the symbolic price of one peseta. Today the dock's striking, decaying design has made it a favourite spot for photographers and urban explorers.
Located a half-hour drive west of Barcelona, Torre Salvana is a medieval castle with an eerie nickname – 'the castle of hell'. Dating back to the 10th century, it served as a fortress and later as a residence for nobility. The castle was partially destroyed during the Catalan Civil War in 1224 and lay abandoned by the 18th century, falling into ruin. Today, its decaying structure is said to be haunted – but that doesn’t stop visitors from exploring its mysterious rooms and hallways.
Carved into the cliffs near Brihuega in Guadalajara, this fascinating façade is a sight to behold. It looks like a mythical village, complete with ornate arches, steps and corridors. But the striking stonework isn’t as old as it seems – the hamlet was built in the 1960s by a local priest along with some volunteers. Now abandoned, it’s said to contain a fishermen’s bar in one of the lower caves. The site is slowly being overtaken by nature, as plants creep over and through the walls.
Overlooking the coastline of Getxo, Biscay, this Spanish fortress was built on top of a 16th-century watchtower. It was converted into a more modern defence in the 18th century to protect the port of Bilbao against naval assaults. The fort was one of a series of coastal forts along the Bay of Biscay, but was abandoned after the Spanish Civil War and has since fallen into disrepair. Today, visitors can dive deeper into the region’s military history by exploring its remnants – and enjoying panoramic sea views along the way.
Set in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Esco is a near-deserted village with a sad backstory. It was abandoned in the 1960s following the creation of the nearby Yesa Dam, which flooded much of the surrounding countryside. Today it's inhabited only by a handful of shepherds, who still graze their sheep in the fields above Esco's 60-odd decaying houses. Visitors can wander the village, set in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and feel the ghostly charm of the Romanesque church and the crumbling walls of long-forgotten homes.
Once buzzing with nightlife, Festival Club is now an abandoned relic in the hills above San José on Ibiza's west side. Opened in 1972, it was a major venue for international DJs and partygoers, helping pave the way for Ibiza to emerge as a global clubbing destination. The club closed its doors after just a couple of years in 1974, and has since fallen into disrepair – although urban explorers and social media users revel in its graffitied, derelict remnants.
Another idea that never took off, this multimillion-euro airport closed after just three years. Spain’s first private international airport, it opened in 2009 after costing around €1.1 billion ($1.2bn/£910m) to build. But due to poor demand and financial difficulties, it was abandoned just three years later. In 2019 it gained new life as a maintenance and dismantling facility and saw use as a storage space during the pandemic. But many of its facilities are still gathering dust, and it remains a symbol of overambition.
La Fábrica, or 'The Factory', is an abandoned cement factory in the outskirts of Barcelona. It was transformed over the course of almost 50 years by the late Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, who turned it into a modern-day fortress of concrete and lush greenery. The eight silos were renovated into offices, libraries and workshops for his firm, in addition to an exhibition room nicknamed 'The Cathedral'. Most of the original factory has now been repurposed, but Bofill always said that La Fábrica would be an "unfinished work".
Say hello to Spain’s oldest car racetrack. Found near Sitges in Barcelona, the Sitges-Terramar Circuit was opened in 1923 and became a pioneering motorsport venue. Despite hosting early Grand Prix races, it fell into disuse by 1925, partly due to financial difficulties and safety concerns. After a brief revival in the 1930s the land was sold and eventually became a farm. Today, the decaying track, with its distinctive oval shape and crumbling stands, remains a relic of motorsport's early heyday, attracting urban explorers and petrolheads.
This bombed medieval village in Catalonia was left in ruins after the Spanish Civil War. The rubble you see today was once the heart of a lively village, decimated by a brutal battle between July and November 1938 which forced villagers to flee. To commemorate those who died during the Battle of the Ebro, the Government of Catalonia has kept the ruins of Corbera d'Ebre as a memorial. The remnants of the village, with its crumbling walls and caved-in wells, serve as a haunting reminder of the war's devastation.
The Munitions Factory of Orbaitzeta was established in the 18th century to produce weapons and ammunition for the Spanish army. Its location was key – nearby there were natural resources needed for munitions, including iron ore and lead. For almost 100 years the factory created arms for Spanish kings. But it was shut down and abandoned in 1873 due to declining demand and industrial changes. Today, its buildings and tunnels are overrun with vegetation and visited by local hikers and tourists.
Teetering on the edge of a cliff in Tenerife, the Gordejuela Water Elevator was built by the British Hamilton Company in 1903. Its primary function was to transport water from the coast to the island’s fields, which it did with a steam-powered lift system – the first steam engine in Tenerife. The building was gradually abandoned as it became obsolete, and the rickety remains long lay forgotten. It has since become a tourist attraction, and is now one of the world's most beautiful abandoned places.
Set in the Duratón River Gorges Natural Park, the Franciscan convent of Nuestra Señora de la Hoz was founded in the 13th century as a refuge for nuns. It was abandoned in the mid-19th century due to its isolation and a decline in religious activity. Today, its well-preserved ruins, including the church and cloisters, stand as a quiet reminder of Spain’s monastic past. The riverside site, surrounded by natural beauty, is usually only accessible by boat – although it’s most often experienced from a viewpoint above the river valley.
Sitting empty on a mountain above Güéjar Sierra village in the province of Granada, this observatory, built in 1902, was once a haven for early astronomy. Unfortunately, its remote location and outdated equipment led to its abandonment by the middle of the century, and a new observatory was built nearby in the 1970s. Emptied and left to rot, the observatory at Mohon del Trigo still stands high on its hill, and makes for a striking image against the surrounding mountains and sky.
Hidden in the hills above Pamplona, this 20th-century fortress holds dark secrets. Although it was strategically positioned to protect the region, it didn’t see much action. Instead, during the Spanish Civil War, it served as a prison for thousands of Republican detainees, almost 800 of whom attempted a daring but doomed escape in 1938. As a jail, the fort had a terrible reputation, with executions, starvation and mass graves all rife. The fort now lies abandoned, its crumbling walls and tunnels serving as a monument to the region’s tragic past.
Located in A Pontenova in the northwestern region of Galicia, the remnants of the Hornos de Vilaoudriz consist of five chimneys measuring 36 feet (11m) high and 13 feet (4m) wide. The furnaces were built around the start of the 20th century to process iron ore, which a nearby railway transported to the port of Ribadeo 21 miles (34km) away. The journey included 13 tunnels, five bridges and a metal loading platform over the estuary. The furnaces were abandoned in 1964 after many decades of service.
Built in the 12th century, this monastery near Zamora was an important religious and cultural centre during the medieval period. It was the first Cistercian monastery in the Iberian Peninsula, though it was eventually abandoned and declared a national monument. Today the ruins – including an abbey church in the shape of a Latin cross – showcase the region’s Catholic heritage. Tourists come to soak up its architectural beauty and peaceful surroundings.
With its bullet-ridden buildings and rubble-strewn streets, the ruined town of Belchite is a standing testament to the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. The town was devastated by a bloody battle in 1937 that claimed the lives of thousands of people. After the war Belchite was left as it lay, serving as a poignant war memorial. Today, tourists can take guided tours and learn about this devastating era of Spanish history. A few buildings retain their past splendour, such as the hulking Church of San Martín de Tours.