Sanatorio de La Barranca
THE ABANDONED HOSPITAL IN SPAIN
‘Sanatorio de La Barranca’ is an abandoned sanatorium in Navacerrada, Spain. After more than 50 years, the hospital is abandoned and left to nature and looters.
In the 1940s, the Spanish Ministry of Health built several sanatoriums around Madrid. These hospitals were placed in remote forested areas, where clean air and sunlight were believed to help cure diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, polio, fibrosis, and lung cancer. Before the discovery of penicillin, these natural treatments were the only hope for many patients.
One of these hospitals was Sanatorio del Santo Ángel, or La Barranca. Built in a typical mid-century hospital design, it had two large wings connected by a central section. Various smaller buildings stood nearby, and a large basement provided storage and service areas. At its peak, the sanatorium housed many patients, doctors, and nurses, who lived in isolation from the rest of society.
Abandonment and Decay
As medicine advanced, the need for sanatoriums declined. Many of these hospitals were closed or repurposed. While some were demolished, others were converted for new medical purposes. For example, Sanatorio de la Barranca became a psychiatric hospital in 1962. It remained in use until 1995, when it was permanently closed and left to decay.
Sanatorio del Santo Ángel was abandoned, left exposed to nature and vandalism. Over the years, urban explorers and thrill-seekers visited the ruins, drawn by the eerie atmosphere and tragic history. The once-pristine hospital was trashed, covered in graffiti, and even partially burned. The walls crumbled, and most of the interior was destroyed.
Demolition
Despite its historical significance, the condition of the sanatorium worsened beyond repair. The surrounding nature park remained a beautiful and peaceful place, but the building itself had become unsafe. Authorities eventually demolished what was left of the structure. Today, only memories, old photographs, and a few scattered remains tell the story of the sanatorium complex. I visited ‘Sanatorio de La Barranca’ in 2012.
