Sanatorio de Tuberculosos de Sierra Espuña, Tuberculosis sanatorium in El Berro, Alhama de Murcia, Spain.
The sanatorium is a medical facility with three two-story wings, a basement level, a caretaker's house, mortuary, and an aqueduct system for collecting snowmelt. The layout reflects early 20th-century sanatorium design with functional spaces organized for patient care.
Designed by Pedro Cerdán in 1917, the sanatorium opened in 1935 to treat tuberculosis patients. It closed in 1962 after the discovery of streptomycin made such institutions no longer necessary.
After closure, the building was repurposed as a primary school from 1965 to 1982 and later became a youth hostel. This reflects how communities adapted abandoned medical facilities for new purposes over time.
The building cannot be entered due to structural instability and is enclosed by protective fencing. You can view the exterior and grounds from outside the barrier to appreciate its architectural layout.
The site appears on Spain's Red List of Endangered Heritage, marking it as a threatened historical structure. This recognition highlights how important such medical facilities once were to public health infrastructure.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
