MINAS DE ALMADEN Y ARRAYANES,S.A.

What MINAS DE ALMADEN Y ARRAYANES,S.A. does

MINAS DE ALMADÉN Y ARRAYANES, S.A., S.M.E. (MAYASA) is a wholly state-owned Spanish enterprise, 100% held by Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI) since May 2001 and incorporated as an autonomous entity in 1982. The company operates from Almadén, Ciudad Real, with 24 employees, and runs three core business lines: (1) industrial heritage tourism through the Parque Minero de Almadén — the only site in Spain holding both UNESCO World Heritage (2012) and European Heritage Label (2021) status, attracting 15,000+ pre-COVID visitors from 50 Spanish provinces and 28 countries; (2) environmental research and remediation services through the ISO 9001-certified Centro Tecnológico del Mercurio (CTNDM), which provides proprietary mercury stabilization and solidification technology using sulphur polymer cement, developed under the MERSADE-LIFE project and currently being deployed internationally under the EU-funded LIFE HERMES consortium; and (3) agricultural and livestock operations on the Dehesa de Castilseras, a nearly 9,000-hectare estate dedicated to merino sheep, cattle, dryland/irrigated agriculture, hunting, and ecotourism. The company also manages the 18th-century Real Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael, which houses the Mining Museum and the Bien de Interés Cultural-designated Historical Archive of the Almadén Mines, and offers corporate venue rentals across its facilities.

Revenue is generated through direct ticket sales at the Mining Park, direct sales of agricultural products from Dehesa de Castilseras, contracted research and technical services to government agencies and international partners (notably EU LIFE program projects LIFE HERMES with €2.8M budget and MONIMER), and venue rental for corporate events. The company has been in a phase of financial restructuring: three share capital reductions between 2018 and 2022 totaling over €23M absorbed accumulated losses, bringing share capital to €60,019.85. In late 2025, MAYASA approved a new Strategic Plan 2025-2032 backed by €12.7M of investment targeting €8M projected annual revenue by 2032. The company distributes its services through direct visitor access, institutional B2B sales for research and remediation, and direct sales of agricultural products, with promotion concentrated at FITUR tourism fair, multiple dedicated websites, and earned media in regional and national Spanish outlets.

Name

MINAS DE ALMADEN Y ARRAYANES,S.A.

Legal name

MINAS DE ALMADÉN Y ARRAYANES, S.A., S.M.E.

Website

https://mayasa.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MINAS DE ALMADÉN Y ARRAYANES, S.A. (MAYASA) is a Spanish state-owned enterprise under SEPI that operates UNESCO-listed industrial heritage tourism at the Almadén mercury mines, provides proprietary mercury environmental remediation technology, and runs a 9,000-hectare agricultural estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heritage Tourism and Environmental Remediation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (712110), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000), Miscellaneous Metal Ores (1090)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Mercury Removal & Trace Contaminant Treatment (Hg, BTEX, Siloxanes) (EUAAABAF), Demolition, Decommissioning & Asset Retirement (Environmental Scope) (IMAIAGAH), Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE), UNESCO & Protected Landmark Sites (THAJACAI)

Keywords

• Industrial heritage tourism
• Mercury remediation services
• Environmental decontamination
• Cultural heritage management
• Agricultural livestock operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Almadén

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tourism and Cultural Heritage: Revenue from visitors to the Almadén Mining Park, museums, and cultural heritage sites including the Real Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael. Includes potential rental of facilities for corporate events and meetings.
2. Agricultural and Livestock Operations: Revenue from farming and stockbreeding activities at Dehesa de Castilseras estate (nearly 9,000 ha), including sheep (merino breed), cattle, agriculture, hunting, and ecotourism activities.
3. Research and Technical Services: Revenue from the Centro Tecnológico del Mercurio providing scientific and technological support for mercury decontamination, risk elimination, and environmental studies for companies and agencies.
4. Environmental Remediation Services: Services related to mercury stabilization, solidification, and remediation of contaminated sites, including international technical cooperation projects.
5. Historical Heritage Management: Activities related to conservation, restoration and maintenance of historical heritage assets, and rehabilitation of environmental surroundings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MAYASA promotes industrial, tourism, and cultural projects centered on the historic Almadén mercury mines through three main lines: (1) the Parque Minero de Almadén, a UNESCO World Heritage mining park offering underground tours and a Mercury Museum; (2) the Centro Tecnológico del Mercurio, providing scientific and technological services for mercury decontamination, stabilization, and solidification; and (3) the Dehesa de Castilseras agricultural and livestock estate of nearly 9,000 hectares. The company also recovers and maintains its historical heritage and rehabilitates the surrounding environment.

Product overview

MAYASA operates a diversified portfolio of three core business lines: (1) Tourism and Cultural Heritage through the Parque Minero de Almadén, offering underground mine tours, the Mercury Museum, and Visitor's Centre; (2) Research and Technology Services via the Centro Tecnológico del Mercurio, providing mercury decontamination, stabilization/solidification, and environmental remediation research; and (3) Agricultural and Livestock Operations through the Dehesa de Castilseras estate, encompassing sheep and cattle farming, agriculture, hunting, and ecotourism. Supporting these, the company manages the Real Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael as a museum and archive, and offers venue rental services. The company is a state-owned enterprise under SEPI, focused on industrial, touristic, and cultural project promotion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parque Minero de Almadén: Cultural, educational and tourism destination featuring the historic Almadén mercury mines, including visitor center, mining interpretation center, mercury museum, and 16th century mine tours.
• Centro Tecnológico del Mercurio
• Dehesa de Castilseras

Quantifiable outcome

• Cerco de San Teodoro tip restoration (3.5 million tonnes waste, 60m height) completed in 2008 with 8.5 million euros investment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and moderate.

• MAGNA (Magnesitas de Navarra)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Part of the LIFE HERMES consortium for mercury remediation in historic mining areas. MAGNA contributes to the international project addressing environmental challenges of former mercury mining zones with research, technology, and international cooperation.
• Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Research partner in LIFE HERMES (Instituto de Geología Aplicada) and MONIMER project. Collaboration includes geoguía training courses, summer schools, HECTOR Erasmus+ project, and academic cooperation agreements. Signed framework collaboration agreement in October 2024 for research, technology, innovation, and training.
• Universitat de Barcelona - DIOPMAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Disseny i Optimització de Processos i Materials (DIOPMA) group participates in the LIFE HERMES consortium for mercury remediation technology development.
• Unione dei Comuni Amiata Val Dorcia (UCAVO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Italian consortium partner in LIFE HERMES project, owner of Abbadia San Salvatore mercury mine. Represents historic Italian mercury mining sites selected for demonstration of remediation solutions.
• EuroVérticeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 November 2025Provides expert support for the LIFE HERMES consortium in mercury remediation project implementation.
• CIEMATmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas is a research partner in the MONIMER project for mercury monitoring in trophic networks. Also collaborates on environmental mercury research, including workshops with Tunisia and participation in ReLASC seminars.
• Museo de Ciencias NaturalesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Research partner in MONIMER project for mercury monitoring in trophic networks, working to determine mercury environmental influence and indicator species in historic mining areas.
• Sociedad Española para la Defensa del Patrimonio Geológico y Minero-industrial (SEDPGYM)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2025Signed collaboration agreement in January 2025 to promote joint activities in geological and mining-industrial heritage defense. Includes organization of conferences, symposia, seminars, and scientific events for protecting and valorizing geological and mining heritage.
• Fundación Academia Europea e Iberoamericana de YustemoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2024Co-leader of IVEPC project (Integrating European Values in Cultural Heritage) with Monasterio de San Jerónimo de Yuste. Project co-financed by EU Creative Europe program for European Heritage Label sites.
• Patrimonio NacionalmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2024Partner in IVEPC project for integrating European values in cultural heritage. Collaborates on events including concerts at Monasterio de Yuste and joint promotion of heritage sites.
• HECTOR Project Consortium (Erasmus+)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Erasmus+ funded project (Industrial Heritage as Key Competences for Tourist Operator) with 9 partners from 5 European countries. Aims to train young Europeans in industrial heritage tourism, with online courses and summer schools.
• European Parliament / EPP GroupmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2018European Parliament Environment Committee gave clear support to MAYASA's mercury stabilization technology developed in Almadén. Collaborative relationship on environmental policy and mercury management standards.
• CENIM-CESICmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partner in MERSADE-LIFE project (2006-2010) for mercury stabilization and solidification technology development. Main results included prototype for safe mercury storage and sulphur polymer cement technique.
• EUPA - UCLMmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partner in MERSADE-LIFE project (2006-2010) for development of mercury environmental management technology.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Paradores de Turismo de España: Spanish state-owned hospitality chain operating historic buildings as hotels — comparable state-owned tourism/heritage business model, corporate venue rental, and rural Spain positioning; cooperative partner in IVEPC project.
• Patrimonio Nacional: Spanish state-owned entity managing crown heritage assets (palaces, monasteries) for public visitation — comparable in state-ownership mandate, heritage preservation mission, and tourism commercialization to MAYASA.
• Welterbe Zollverein (Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex): German UNESCO-listed former coal mine now a major industrial heritage and cultural complex with museums, tourism, events, and R&D tenants — a larger-scale, more mature analog of MAYASA's Parque Minero transformation model.
• DAIKIN Environmental Solutions / Veolia (Remediation Services): Large-scale environmental remediation service providers with mercury and heavy-metal clean-up capabilities — comparable technical services line (Centro Tecnológico del Mercurio) though at vastly greater scale and broader geography.
• Welterbe Rammelsberg / Besucherbergwerk: UNESCO World Heritage former ore mine in Germany operating as a visitor mine and museum — comparable underground mine tourism, ore-extraction heritage interpretation, and educational programming to Parque Minero de Almadén.

Direct peers

• Big Pit National Coal Museum (Amgueddfa Cymru): UK national coal mining museum with underground mine tours, exhibitions, and heritage interpretation operated by the Welsh national museums — directly comparable industrial heritage tourism and educational programming model.
• Idrija Mercury Mine (UNESCO Heritage Site, Slovenia): Direct sister-site UNESCO World Heritage partner jointly inscribed with Almadén as 'Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija.' Operates a comparable historic mercury mine museum and visitor complex in Slovenia, sharing the same industrial-heritage tourism model.
• Fundación Río Tinto (Minas de Riotinto): Spanish mining heritage park operator at Riotinto (Huelva) — runs underground mine tours, mining museum, and railway tourism; directly comparable industrial heritage tourism model in rural Spain, though focused on copper/pyrite rather than mercury.

Emerging players

• HECTOR Project Consortium (Erasmus+/Industrial Heritage): EU-funded 9-partner consortium training young Europeans in industrial heritage tourism — MAYASA is a participating partner, sharing the educational and training programming model around industrial heritage sites.

Others

• European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH): European network of industrial heritage sites where Almadén is an Anchor Point — the principal peer ecosystem for marketing, visitor referrals, and best-practice exchange across comparable mine and industrial-heritage sites.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/parqueminerodealmaden
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfDqT6tqhqdM2aK5p1fJLZQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minas-de-almaden-y-arrayanes-s.a.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MINAS DE ALMADEN Y ARRAYANES,S.A.