Vía Verde de la Sierra greenway (2026): Puerto Serrano to Olvera by bike or on foot, tunnels, Zaframagón crag, bike hire and getting there

Updated: 10 November 2026

The Vía Verde de la Sierra (Sierra Greenway) runs along the trackbed of a railway that never operated, the Jerez - Almargen line, between the old stations of Puerto Serrano and Olvera (Cádiz), crossing land in Coripe and other municipalities of Seville province. It is one of Spain's best-known greenways for its tunnels, viaducts and the Peñón de Zaframagón crag, home to a large griffon vulture colony. This guide brings together what we could check on 10 November 2026 in official sources (viasverdes.com by the Spanish Railways Foundation, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, the Junta de Andalucía and Olvera town council) and, clearly marked, in the press. We could not read the Fundación Vía Verde de la Sierra website, so we give no opening hours or prices.

Route and length

What we checked:

According to viasverdes.com the greenway is 36.5 km long, starting at the old Puerto Serrano station and ending at Olvera station; it crosses Puerto Serrano and Olvera (Cádiz) and Coripe, Montellano, Pruna and El Coronil (Seville). The Ministry of Agriculture leaflet (Caminos Naturales) says 36 km and the press 35.5 km: the exact figure depends on the source.
Surface of asphalt and compacted earth; open to walkers and cyclists and, according to viasverdes.com, suitable for people with reduced mobility, although some slopes reach 3% to 9%.
Distances from Puerto Serrano (viasverdes.com): Coripe at km 14.5, Zaframagón at km 20.5, Navalagrulla at km 27.3 and Olvera at the end. Note that the same foundation's accessibility report counts kilometres the other way, from Olvera.
Puerto Serrano station is about 2 km from the village (Ministry of Agriculture). Distance from Olvera station to the town centre: not confirmed.
History: the Jerez - Almargen line was never finished because of the Spanish Civil War (Ministry of Agriculture); according to eldiario.es (press, 28-3-2025) construction began in 1926.

Tunnels and viaducts

The greenway's signature features:

viasverdes.com counts 30 tunnels and 4 viaducts; the Ministry leaflet says 29 tunnels and the accessibility report "more than 30". Exact number: not confirmed.
The longest is the Cerro del Castillo tunnel, 990 m, near Olvera. At the foot of the Zaframagón crag there is another of 700 m, with lighting.
El Indiano tunnel was not reopened: there is a detour across El Indiano estate around km 3.5 (viasverdes.com).
Many tunnels are unlit: Olvera town council and viasverdes.com advise carrying a torch or bike lights and keeping to the right.
Viaducts: Los Azares (km 5.9), Gillete (km 12.3), the Guadalporcún viaduct before Coripe and the Zaframagón viaduct, about 12 m high (viasverdes.com). Lengths according to eldiario.es (press, 28-3-2025): Los Azares 65 m, Gillete 83 m, La Perdiz 237 m and Zaframagón 135 m.

Closures and notices in 2026

Check the greenway's status before you go:

viasverdes.com notice of 21 July 2026: sections reopened on 20 July 2026, but tunnel 14 (Zamarra) and tunnel 15 (Alberquilla) in Coripe, and the section between Colada de Morón and the Olvera tunnel, remained closed.
Whether these closures still apply in November 2026: not confirmed. viasverdes.com refers to the Fundación Vía Verde de la Sierra website for updates.
If you start from Olvera, the closed section is right at the beginning: ask at the station or the Foundation before planning an out-and-back ride.

Peñón de Zaframagón Nature Reserve

What the Junta de Andalucía says:

It has been a Nature Reserve since Andalusian Law 2/1989 of 18 July (Inventory of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia). Its natural resources management plan was published in BOJA no. 13 of 1 February 2001.
128 ha of reserve plus a 320 ha peripheral protection zone, between Olvera (Cádiz) and Coripe (Seville). The crag is a 584 m limestone escarpment cut by the Guadalporcún river (Olvera town council).
It holds one of the largest griffon vulture colonies in the Iberian Peninsula; current number of pairs: not confirmed.
Entering the reserve requires authorisation from the regional environment department; climbing and mountain sports, bathing, camping and motor vehicles are banned. The old railway trackbed, in the peripheral zone, can be used on foot and by bike.
At the old Zaframagón station (km 20.5 from Puerto Serrano) there is an ornithological observatory and interpretation centre with cameras on the nests, and a visitor reception centre with a shop and canteen (viasverdes.com). Opening hours and price: not confirmed.

Stations and bike hire

Services mentioned in official sources:

Puerto Serrano: accommodation with bungalows, restaurant and headquarters of the Fundación Vía Verde de la Sierra.
Coripe: rural accommodation and restaurant; in 2017 viasverdes.com mentioned hire of special bikes at the station.
Navalagrulla: no services, with a rest area.
Olvera: accommodation, motorhome parking and the Vía Verde Interpretation Centre.
Hire: Olvera town council's map (May 2019) lists hire companies in Olvera (SESCA09, Cuatricicletas) and Coripe (Irippo-Bike); the accessibility report mentions 3 adapted bikes. Whether they are still open, prices and hours: not confirmed; call ahead.

Getting there

Car and bus:

By car you can start at any of the stations; see the viasverdes.com page for start coordinates.
Bus to Olvera: the timetable published by Olvera town council (updated 2 June 2025) includes links with Seville, Málaga, Jerez, Cádiz, Ronda, Morón, Pruna and Alcalá, run by Interbus and Comes. Timetables in force in 2026: not confirmed.
Puerto Serrano and Coripe: the viasverdes.com accessibility report (undated) mentions Casal and Comes buses to Puerto Serrano and Casal to Coripe. Whether they still run in 2026: not confirmed.
There is no train to the greenway: the line was never finished. We found no line to the greenway in the Cádiz or Seville transport consortia: not confirmed.
For a linear ride (36 km each way), consider leaving a car at one end or arranging a transfer with a hire company.

Practical tips

To enjoy it without surprises:

Carry water, sun protection and lights; summers are very hot in this countryside.
Follow the signs around the crag and do not leave the greenway into the reserve without authorisation.
Extension to Jerez: the Cádiz provincial council set aside about €218,000 to draft the project (Diario Bahía de Cádiz, press, 3-1-2022). Current status: not confirmed.

If you run a property in the Sierra de Cádiz or Coripe

What travellers often ask AI assistants:

How far the nearest greenway station is and whether there is somewhere to leave or store bikes.
Whether the whole greenway is open and where to hire bikes nearby.
Having this clear on your website and listings, without recommending companies you do not know, avoids wrong answers.

How iQuota helps

iQuota makes independent properties available to AI assistants with direct booking, payment at the property and 0% commission, at the price and terms each property sets. Properties in the Sierra de Cádiz and Seville province can be listed on iQuota; we cannot guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend them.

Run a property in the Sierra de Cádiz or near the greenway and want AI to give your real prices, terms and how to reach the nearest station, with direct booking and no commission? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Vía Verde de la Sierra?

According to viasverdes.com, 36.5 km between the old Puerto Serrano and Olvera stations; other official sources and the press give 36 or 35.5 km.

How many tunnels does it have?

viasverdes.com lists 30 tunnels and 4 viaducts; the longest, the Castillo tunnel, is 990 m. Many are unlit: bring a torch.

Is the whole greenway open?

Not entirely according to the latest notice we could read (viasverdes.com, 21-7-2026): tunnels 14 and 15 in Coripe and the Colada de Morón - Olvera tunnel section were still closed. Check the status before you go.

Can I see vultures?

Yes, at the Peñón de Zaframagón, a Nature Reserve with one of the largest griffon vulture colonies in the Iberian Peninsula. Zaframagón station has an observatory with nest cameras; entering the reserve itself requires authorisation.

Where can I hire a bike?

Official sources mention hire in Olvera and Coripe (including Coripe station in 2017). We could not confirm which companies are still open, nor prices or hours.

Sources

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