In the mines of Fraga da Venda were explored tin and tungsten, occurring in quartz veins in the massive of Montemuro. The deposits explored here are part of a set of tungsten and tin deposits that are distributed from Galicia to Castile, crossing northern and central Portugal. These mines were exploited mainly during the Second World War, mainly by residents of the village of Paradela and in a traditional way, by locals. Here the ore was washed into the stream of Lourosa, a tributary of the Ardena river, which later flows into the Paiva. The ore was subsequently sold in Alvarenga or exchanged for food, such as corn or beans.
Here, in the highlands of Montemuro mountain arise, occasionally, rare habitats such as peat bogs. These are of great importance in ecosystems, since become important water retention zones. These small peat bogs, over Montemuro plateau, have got a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna. Here we can see the beautiful round-leaved sundew, carnivorous plant that has adapted spectacularly to these poor in nutrients habitats, managing to capture small insects and remove hence its food. Plants of wetlands as the dorset heath, mountain arnica or the marsh gentian also born here. Regarding fauna, abound species like, the common midwife toad, the golden-ringed dragonfly or the keeled skimmer that take advantage of these habitats to survive.
In the vicinity of the mines of Fraga da Venda we can find traces of human presence from the megalithic period, about 2000 B.C. From these tumuli we highlight the one called Chão de Brinco, where there are still three granite pillars with traces of inscriptions and paintings, one with anthropomorphic form, which is rare in megalithic art.
