Nestled in the heart of the Sierra de los Filabres, at an altitude of over 1,600 meters, the mining village of Menas de Serón, in the province of Almería, was a key economic driver until its mines closed in 1968. This enclave, which once housed 3,000 inhabitants and had its own hospital, extracted lead and iron, attracting investments from Dutch and British companies.

Since its abandonment, the village has suffered progressive deterioration, with many of its buildings in ruins due to lack of maintenance. Although it was inhabited until the 1990s and maintained some tourist activity in the 2010s, it is now considered uninhabitable and inaccessible. The Serón Town Council carries out cleaning and basic maintenance, despite the property belonging to the Junta de Andalucía.

The conflict between both administrations intensified in 2024, when the Junta de Andalucía included some of Las Menas' most emblematic buildings in a package of public assets for auction, with a starting price of 1.5 million euros. The Serón Town Council strongly opposed this operation, mobilizing citizens and temporarily halting the sale.

The local administration advocates for a public transfer that would allow the municipality to manage the enclave, developing tourism and industrial heritage recovery projects. However, the Junta de Andalucía argues that technical and bureaucratic problems, such as a "real chaos" in registry and cadastral records, prevent progress on the transfer requested in November 2022.

While the administrative debate continues, the village's deterioration advances. The lack of surveillance has led to thefts and vandalism, even in recently rehabilitated facilities. Former residents and local associations, such as the Santa Bárbara Association, lament the situation and defend Las Menas' tourist and historical potential as a tool against depopulation in the region.