September 28, 2015
Vías Verdes (Green Paths) are disused railway lines; there’s more than 2000 klms in Spain, that have been restored for walkers and cyclists.

We walked the Via Verde de la Sierra, 36 klms from Puerto Serrano to Olvera across and through the mountain range of the Cádiz Provence. The rail line was conceived at the beginning of the 20th century but the Spanish Civil War brought work to a halt. All the 5 stations, 30 tunnels (one a kilometer long), and 4 viaducts were built; a huge engineering feat. But no tracks were laid and no trains ever ran!

Where is the Via Verde de la Sierra?

Day 1 – Early bus from Sevilla to Puerto Serrano and 15 klms walking to the Coripe Station, now remade as a comfortable hotel bar restaurant.

Day 2 – To the end at Olvera Station, 21 klms. We had a good and enjoyable walk; cool weather, plenty of tunnels, rugged ridges, goat farms and olive trees, glimpses of the Castle at Olvera to encourage us on.

The first of 30 tunnels!

The railway line followed the river

One of 4 viaducts

Curved tunnel 1 kilometer long - lights come on automatically

Flowers along the path, brown in the Autumn heat

Village goats waiting to be milked

Coripe Station, about half way, now a comfortable hotel

Tunnel after tunnel

Peñon de Zaframargón, home to Europe's largest colony of griffon Vultures

An abandoned station decaying in the sun

First glimpse of Olvera

Olive trees and wheat farms, like a faded painting

Purple olives ready for picking

Olvera Station, the end of the line which never was