Loma de Bas tunnel

The Loma de Bas tunnel is located in Ramonete, a small locality within the municipality of Lorca, in the autonomous community of Murcia, southeastern Spain. Murcia is near the Mediterranean Sea, known for its fertile plains and rugged mountains. Lorca, about 70 km from Murcia, is a historic city with a rich cultural heritage, and nearby areas like Pastrana, Mazarrón, and Águilas also have mining histories.

This tunnel is a treasure for collectors, featuring minerals such as anatase, apatite, arsenopyrite, baryte, bismuthinite, brookite, chalcopyrite, chamosite, clinochlore, crandallite, fluorapatite, galena, goethite, jamesonite, lavendulan, muscovite, pyrite, quartz, rutile, semseyite, siderite, smithsonite, sphalerite, talc, and tetradymite. Rarer finds like lavendulan and semseyite are particularly exciting for enthusiasts.

The area's geology involves polymetallic mineralization from hydrothermal processes, forming stock-works with altered ores and diverse secondary minerals. While the tunnel itself isn't a traditional mine, its minerals were likely uncovered during construction in 2007. Nearby, sites like La Reconquistada claim, near the old Dolores iron mine, have a history of small-scale copper mining and have yielded new mineral species like barahonaite-(Al) and cobaltarthurite.

Lorca is famous for its Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations, a vibrant display of tradition, and features historical sites like a Medieval castle and a preserved synagogue. The Mediterranean climate offers hot, dry summers (22–26°C/72–78°F) and mild winters (8–10°C/46–50°F), with about 429 mm of annual rainfall and 4008 hours of sunshine, supporting local agriculture like rice and vegetables.