Geoda de Pulpí (Giant Geode of Pulpí)

The Geoda de Pulpí (Giant Geode of Pulpí) is a hollow lined with huge transparent gypsum crystals, 60 m underground in the old Mina Rica iron mine at Pilar de Jaravía, in the municipality of Pulpí, in the far north-east of Almería province. You see it on a guided visit through the mine galleries: the operator’s listing on Andalucía.org says the visit takes 90 minutes, that you need comfortable closed shoes and that you should be there at least 30 minutes before your slot. The site is about 4 km inland from the beaches of San Juan de los Terreros and 5 km from Pulpí town. It suits anyone curious about geology, children included; skip it if narrow mine galleries and a metal spiral staircase put you off.

Quick facts

• Names: Geoda de Pulpí, Geoda Gigante de Pulpí or Geoda de Pilar de Jaravía in Spanish; in English the Pulpí Geode or Giant Geode of Pulpí.
• Where: Mina Rica, on the eastern slope of the Sierra del Aguilón at Pilar de Jaravía, Pulpí (Almería), close to the border with Murcia.
• Coordinates: 37.3822, -1.7015 (OpenStreetMap).
• Size: about 8 m long and 2 m high, lined with gypsum crystals of up to almost 2 m (Andalucía.org). Spanish Wikipedia gives 8 × 1.8 × 1.7 m and a volume of 10.7 m³.
• Depth: 60 m below ground, between the third and fourth working levels of the mine.
• Discovered: December 1999, by members of the Grupo Mineralogista de Madrid.
• Open to visitors: since 2019. By January 2022 more than 100,000 people had visited (Andalucía.org, 2022).
• Visit: guided, 90 minutes, booked in advance; tickets are sold through the official site geodapulpi.es.

Access and parking

By car: the mine lies at Pilar de Jaravía, on Avenida Fundición and Calle Sierra de los Filabres, between Pulpí town (about 5 km north-west in a straight line) and San Juan de los Terreros on the coast (about 4 km south-east). From the A-7 and AP-7 motorways take the Pulpí and San Juan de los Terreros exit. Vera is about 21 km away and Mojácar 30 km, both in a straight line; Águilas in Murcia is about 11 km.

Parking: OpenStreetMap maps a free surface car park for visitors next to the site. We could not confirm its size or whether it fills in summer.

Without a car: the Jaravía railway stop is about 1.3 km away, but OpenStreetMap marks the C-2 Murcia–Águilas commuter line through it as disused, with works on the line. Do not plan on the train without checking Renfe first. A taxi from Pulpí or San Juan de los Terreros is the practical option.

What to expect

The visit is as much a mine tour as a geode visit. Outside you pass the old buildings of the Mina Rica, among them the main shaft and the towers of the two kilns where ore was roasted. Inside you walk through the galleries the miners dug, each with its own name, and see shafts, things the miners left behind, such as shoes and food tins, and a figure of Santa Bárbara, the miners’ patron saint (Andalucía.org, 2023).

On the way you see calcite and gypsum, smaller geodes and, under infrared light, minerals that glow in the dark. Most of the route is level. The last part goes down a metal spiral staircase to the level of the giant geode. You look into the geode; you do not walk inside it.

How it formed: in a first stage groundwater dissolved a hollow in dolomite rock. Later, warm water linked to the old volcanic activity of the Cabo de Gata area filled it and the gypsum crystals grew, while the hollow stayed under water. The University of Almería has dated the crystals to between 165,000 and 60,000 years old (Spanish Wikipedia). The mine itself produced iron, lead and silver and was abandoned at the time of the Spanish Civil War.

Prices and booking

The official site, geodapulpi.es, could not be opened when we checked, so we cannot give current prices, opening days or slot times. Book there before you travel; slots are timed. Andalucía.org also lists a combined olive oil tour by OleoAlmanzora in Pulpí that includes a ticket for the geode visit, and a second tour that adds the Castillo de San Juan de los Terreros with a virtual 3D tour of the geode (Andalucía.org).

In Pulpí town the Sala Negra shows luminescent minerals, such as calcite and fluorite, under ultraviolet light. Enter by the back door of the Espacio Escénico (Andalucía.org).

Accessibility and safety

• Wear comfortable, closed shoes; the operator’s listing says they are required.
• The descent to the geode is by a metal spiral staircase. We found no official statement on wheelchair access to the underground part, so ask when you book.
• You walk in old mine galleries. People who do not like enclosed spaces should think twice.
• Arrive at least 30 minutes before your slot.

Best time to visit

The visit is underground, so it works in any season and is a good plan for a windy or very hot day on the coast. In July and August, when San Juan de los Terreros and the Levante beaches are busy, book well ahead. Combine it with a swim at Cala Cerrada, a small cove about 150 m long with calm water, which Andalucía.org suggests after the visit.

Nearby alternatives

• San Juan de los Terreros, 4 km: the beach village of Pulpí, with its castle and the Terreros and Negra islets.
• Cuatro Calas walk (Águilas), 7 km: a short coastal loop past coves just over the border in Murcia.
• Águilas, 11 km: the nearest town of the Costa Cálida, with its castle and two bays.
• Isla del Fraile (Águilas), 14 km: the island off Águilas.
• Villaricos, 16 km: fishing village with the Phoenician site of Baria and two small ports.
• Mojácar la Vieja, 29 km: the hill where Mojácar stood until the 13th century.

Distances are in a straight line from the geode.

FAQ

How big is the Geoda de Pulpí?

About 8 m long and 2 m high, with gypsum crystals of up to almost 2 m. It lies 60 m underground.

Do you need tickets for the Geoda de Pulpí?

Yes. Visits are guided, last 90 minutes and are booked in advance through the official site, geodapulpi.es. Check prices and times there.

Can you go inside the geode?

No. You walk through the Mina Rica galleries and go down a spiral staircase to look into the geode from its opening.

How do I get to the Geoda de Pulpí?

By car: take the Pulpí and San Juan de los Terreros exit of the motorway and follow signs to Pilar de Jaravía. It is about 5 km from Pulpí and 4 km from San Juan de los Terreros.

Is the Geoda de Pulpí suitable for children?

The tour is not physically hard; most of the route is level. Children need closed shoes like everyone else and must manage the spiral staircase.

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