The Saltpans

The Rio Salido (“salty river”) wells up warm saline water into the valley from the deep strata of the pre-historic upper cretaceous seabed. Since Roman times, this brine has been trapped on intricately engineered and irrigated stone terraces and evaporated in the summer sun to form salt crystals. In medieval times, the villages were each allocated responsibility for maintaining and harvesting their own salt works. The salinas of Bujalcayado can be seen and visited just below the village. Those of Olmeda and Carabias are also still visible. At the zenith of the Spanish Empire, the salinas had been acquired by the Crown from the Bishop of Siguenza and, together with other works nearby in Imon and Rienda , they came to produce almost 10% of the revenue of the State, before declining in value over time.  Still well preserved and sustaining some unique flora, some are now being brought back into production.