The Cordillera Real was once an important mining area. There are still a number of active mines in the range which are usually owned and managed by cooperatives, some are only worked temporarily depending on mineral prices. The ruins of many more (often long abandoned) mines and mining communities are scattered throughout the area; some communities are still partly occupied or are used seasonally by farmers if there is good grazing to be had nearby. The best known of these mines is arguably Milluni, approx 15km from La Paz. This was one of the largest mines in the La Paz area and the site of a tin smelting plant that processed ore from many smaller, more remote mines in the nearby mountains. The view of its old cemetery with Mt Huayna Potosí in the background is one of the best known in the Cordillera Real.