This 36-km route runs between the towns of Olvera and Puerto Serrano in the provinces of Cadiz and Seville. The trail passes through spectacular landscapes, including the Peñón de Zaframagón Nature Reserve, known for its colony of griffon vultures and a good chance you will see them too. Along the way, you will pass impressive viaducts and more than 30 tunnels, such as the nearly 1 km-long Túnel del Castillo. So much for facts… But truly bizarre is the fact that no train has ever run on this route. The construction of this railroad began in 1920 with the intention of connecting the cities of Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz) and Almargen (Málaga). The economic crisis and civil war between 1936 and 1939 halted construction. By now, 30 tunnels and 4 viaducts and several small stations had been built. After the war, the continuation proved too technically challenging and priorities had now shifted. The route was never completed.

This Vía Verde winds along the river of the same name in the Madrid region and takes you through a beautiful landscape of green plains. The route extends into the province of Guadalajara and is very easy to follow thanks to the red asphalt path that runs all the way to Ambite, right on the border between the two provinces.A real must along the way is a visit to the cozy Railway Museum of Arganda in La Poveda, where you can travel back in time for a moment! This Via Verde actually has the name: "The sweet track of the beet trains", referring to the original function of the railroad line on which the current Vía Verde was built. Especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the sugar industry in Spain relied heavily on railroads. These trains ran through the fertile plains (vegas) of Madrid and Guadalajara, where many sugar beets were grown. The trains transported the harvest to factories where the beets were processed into sugar. The term "sweet" obviously refers to the sugar production for which the beets were used.

With a total length of about 160 km, this is the longest Vía Verde in Spain. The route begins in Santa Eulalia (Teruel) and ends in Algimia de Alfara (Valencia). The path passes through diverse landscapes, from mountainous areas to Mediterranean fields, and is popular with long-distance cyclists. The Palancia Valley is the setting for this route over the former Sierra Menera mining railroad. From the high plateau of Barracas, at the foot of the Sierra de Javalambre, the Vía Verde de Ojos Negros descends into the fertile agricultural areas of Valencia, located on the shores of the Mediterranean. The route joins the Vía Verde Xurra (see below), which takes you further into the city of Valencia. In all honesty, we can't fully assess it. We cycled only a small part of it. Still, it is in this list for two reasons. It is the longest AND. from the point where we came on it was 20 kilometers downhill flat. Really didn't have to do any stairs… 20 km long… Humming along!

Interested in biking a Via Verde, too? Check out our Spanish cycling trips or email us. You won't forget them soon!