Jorge’s images: Río Tinto – 'Mars' in Andalucía

The Río Tinto region is one of the places on Earth that most resembles the surface of Mars.

The last train to transport ore and minerals from the mines made its final journey in 1985.

Infinite hues of red, ochre, violet, orange, blue and black characterise the Río Tinto area.

The final resting place of heavy plant.

An alien but strangely beautiful environment.

Built by the Río Tinto Company Limited who own the mines, the railway track ran for 300km.

Originally developed by the Iberians and Tartessans in 3000BC, the mines were sold to the British in 1871.

Río Tinto played a significant role in history as the birthplace of the Copper and Bronze Ages.

The gold and silver mined here brought, in turn, the Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors to the area

Abandoned by the Moors, the mines were rediscovered by the Spanish in 1556 and reopened in 1724.

Disused railway trucks silently rusting beneath the hot Andalusian sun.

For the people of Huelva, the Río Tinto railway symbolised the Industrial Revolution and economic progress.

Río Tinto is still making history, with NASA and the Austrian Space Forum both taking a keen interest in the area with a view to future Mars missions.

As well as a fascinating mining museum, other attractions at the Río Tinto Mining Park include the chance to hop aboard a restored locomotive for a 12km journey through the dramatic landscape. The train runs on the 1st Sunday of the month from November to April.

A decommissioned truck casts eerie shadows.

No wonder it's known as the Red River, it looks like it could be on the Red Planet rather than in Spain!

An extreme environment, no fish live in the Río Tinto river due to an almost total absence of oxygen and the metals it carries in suspension. But the highly acidic water is home to a significant array of microscopic organisms.