The Vía Verde de la Sierra offers a stunning gravel cycling route through this beautiful and quiet place in Andalucía.
Route
Spanning 37 kilometers each way, this path follows an abandoned railway line from Olvera to Puerto Serrano. As such, you’ll ride through lots of tunnels and overal several viaducts, over smooth gravel and even some stretches of butter-smooth tarmac.
It’s impossible to get lost and you don’t need to worry about traffic or tricky corners since you’re effectively riding on a train route, giving you all the time in the world to admire your surroundings, like the spectacular Peñón de Zaframagón and the many griffon vultures that will be circling above you.
Everywhere you look are olive trees, and behind every corner looms another spectacular view. The money shot is the Peñón de Zaframagón indeed, but to be fair, you’ll want to stop every 5 minutes to enjoy the views. I particularly appreciate the peace and quiet. Some places are so pristine that it looks like no human has been there.
If you start in Olvera, the route goes downhill ever so slightly and before you know it, you’re already at the final destination of Puerto Serrano. You can do a little detour over smooth and quiet tarmac roads, or you can just turn around and head back for 37 kilometers up to Olvera.
Fueling up
Some of the train stations have conveniently been reformed to cafeterías, so you don’t have to worry about bonking out on this ride. Olvera is a drop-dead gorgeous town and Puerto Serrano also has several bars where you can stop for a coffee and a snack.