A visit to the mining museum of nearby La Union may be of interest - mining in this region started around 2,000 years ago when the Romans discovered the mineral rich mountains and brought their slaves over to exploit them. Take the West Golf Course road and follow it to just beyond the village of Portman to see the devastating effect that mining has had on the mountains and coast line! The relatively rapid demise of the mines took place in the mid/late 20th century when modern man and machinery raped and pillaged the mountains and ruined what was once a very popular beach resort because of the flotation system of sucking water from the sea and flushing the debris from the mines back into it. The striking contrast between the barren, eerie looking mining region and the spectacular views out to sea from the mountains is quite dramatic.