Via Verde de la Sierra - Andalusia

La Vía Verde de la Sierra runs for 36 km at the foot of Spain's southernmost mountains, between the towns of Olvera and Puerto Serrano . It is a never used railway bed with 30 tunnels and 4 bridges. The result is that this road is always slightly sloping and a favorite path for cyclists, walkers and horse riders. There are 5 (never used) stations. Dre stations of Puerto Serrano, Coripe and Olvera, currently offer hotel and restaurant services with traditional cuisine and the possibility to rent a bicycle .

All along the route there are information boards about distance, tunnel or viaduct number, etc.

The longest tunnel is tunnel Castillo, 990 meters long. The tunnels that are longer than 150 meters or that have a curved path are illuminated . Before the tunnels were restored they were used for the cultivation of mushrooms, as the name of some suggests, or they served as sheepfolds.

Between Coripe and Olvera, the Via Verde passes along the Peñón de Zaframagón reserve. This reserve is home to one of the largest colonies of griffon vultures in Europe. This stretch is also part of the Via Serrana, the Camino de Santiago from Ronda.

Willem Vandenameele