In 2012, a former lignite mine in Galicia became Spain’s largest artificial lake, complete with a beach and green spaces.

Nature holds no grudges, but it is quick to reclaim ground at the first opportunity. In As Pontes, a municipality in the province of A Coruña, that process led to one of the most remarkable examples of environmental restoration in Spain’s history.
1. From lignite mine to artificial lake
2. A beach, water sports, nature and two artificial islands
3. The transformation of an industrial landscape
4. A man-made beach with Blue Flag status
5. House prices around Spain’s largest artificial lake
From lignite mine to artificial lake
In 2007, As Pontes was home to an open-pit lignite mine some 300 metres deep. Since 2012, the site has been home to Spain’s largest artificial lake, with a sandy beach and green spaces. View homes for sale in As Pontes

Lake Puentes de García Rodríguez, also known as Lake As Pontes, is one of Europe’s most striking examples of landscape restoration.
– For decades, the site now occupied by the lake was the largest open-pit mining operation on the Iberian Peninsula.
– The mine supplied lignite to Endesa’s local thermal power station.
– Between 1976 and 2007, the operation extracted more than 260 million tonnes of coal and removed more than 697 million cubic metres of earth, leaving a crater nearly 300 metres deep and several kilometres across.
– In 2008, the mine began to fill gradually in a controlled process using rainwater and water from the River Eume, which flows through the town.
– Endesa completed the project in 2012. As of 2026, it remains Europe’s largest artificial lake created from a former mine.