The Ojos Negros Greenway (la Vía Verde de Ojos Negros, in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, also known as ''la Vía Minera''), is a 160-kilometre greenway in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

running between the village of

Santa Eulalia del Campo Santa Eulalia del Campo is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2005 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 1,171 inhabitants. This town is located near Sierra Palomera, a mountain rang ...

in the

province of Teruel Teruel ( Catalan: ''Terol'' ) is a province of Aragon, in the northeast of Spain. The capital is Teruel. It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia (including its exclave Rincón de Ademuz), Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Z ...

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to south): Huesca, Zaragoza, a ...

and the village of Algimia d'Alfara, in the

province of Valencia Valencia ( , ), officially València (), is a provinces of Spain, province of Spain, in the central part of the autonomous Valencian Community. Of the province's 2.7 million people (2024), almost one-third live in the capital, Valencia, whic ...

in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

. Divided into two sections, it forms part of Spain's 2,700 kilometre "Via Verde" rail trail network, which is coordinated and promoted by the Spanish Railways Foundation (''Fundación de los ferrocarriles españoles''). It is currently the longest greenway in Spain.

History

Towards the end of the 19th century, the rights for the exploitation of

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

deposits in the municipality of Ojos Negros in Teruel were granted to several

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

businessmen, who subsequently founded Compañía Minera de Sierra Menera on 3 September 1900. The combination of the quantity and the quality of the mineral extracted, as well as discrepancies with the management of Ferrocarril central de Aragón (which operated the main Teruel - Sagunto line, which runs parallel to the rail trail in many stretches), led the company to apply for a licence to construct a

narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...

for the transportation of the

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

to Puerto de

Sagunto Sagunto () is a municipality of Spain, located in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community. It belongs to the modern fertile ''comarca'' of Camp de Morvedre. It is located approximately north of the city of Valencia, close to the Costa ...

, on the

Mediterranean Coast The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eu ...

. The 200-km long railway line was built in 1903, and at the time of its construction it was the longest private company-owned railway line in Europe. A need for greater transportation capacity finally led to the closure of line on 29 July 1972 and, following the closure of the ore-processing facilities in Sagunto, the Sierra Menera mining company went bankrupt in 1987. Camino Verde Sierra Menera Santa Eualalia del Campo 2

Camino Verde Sierra Menera Santa Eualalia del Campo 2

Conversion into rail trail (greenway)

In 2001, the Valencian Regional Government decided to convert the stretch of the former railway running from Algimia d'Alfara to Barracas into a rail trail. A similar decision was later taken by the Aragon Regional Government in relation to the stretch of line running within

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

to the village of Santa Eulalia del Campo. At the current time, no definitive decision has been taken regarding the conversion of the final stretch of line between Santa Eulalia del Campo and Ojos Negros into a rail trail. In 2017, the Valencian Regional Government announced plans to connect the Ojos Negros Greenway to the city of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

via the extension of the Vía Churra Greenway, which runs from the Valencian capital, to the city of

and the village of

Albalat dels Tarongers Albalat dels Tarongers is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' of Camp de Morvedre in the Valencia (autonomous community), Valencian Community, Spain. Notable people * Ángel Casero, ...

The extension project is expected to be finalised in 2020–2021.

Geography

The original railway started in the village of Ojos Negros, in the ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

'' of Jiloca, at which point it turned southeast, crossing the River Jiloca valley to the provincial capital of

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...

, and then over the

Escandón Pass The Escandón Pass ( or ''Puerto de Escandón'') is a mountain pass in Teruel Province, Aragon, Spain. It is located in La Puebla de Valverde municipal term, in the Sierra de Gúdar and Sierra de Javalambre zone, where the Iberian System ranges b ...

and through the

Sierra de Javalambre Sierra de Javalambre (; )) is a long mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre comarca of Aragon and the Rincón de Ademuz and Serrans comarcas of the Valencian Community, Spain. Highway N-234 winds its way between Sierra de Javalambre and Se ...

mountain range to the

. Following the Barracas moorlands, the line entered the Sierra Calderona mountain range and commenced a descent of almost 1000 metres to

, on the Mediterranean coast.

Route

The route of the Ojos Negros rail trail does not follow the former railway in its entirety, mainly as a result of the construction of different buildings and road infrastructure since the closure of the original line. This is especially so in the areas where the former railway coincides with the A-23 motorway in Aragon. The existing route is divided into two sections: ''Ojos Negros I'': this section starts in the village of Algimia de Alfara in Valencia and passes through (or close by) the towns of Altura,

Segorbe Segorbe is a municipality in the mountainous coastal province of Castelló, Valencia (autonomous community), autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. The former Palace of the Dukes of Medinaceli now houses the city's mayor. Segorbe's bull-running ...

Jérica Jérica () is a town in the Castellón (province), Castellón province of Valencia (autonomous community), Valencian Community, Spain. It is in the comarca (region) of Alto Palancia. Its population was 1,703 at the end of 2009. The town's name i ...

Viver Viver is a town in the Castellón province of Valencian Community, Spain. It is in the comarca (region) of Alto Palancia. Geography The municipality has an area of . It is crossed by the river Palancia, and an area in the south is part of ...

and

Caudiel Caudiel is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alto Palancia, Castellón, Valencia, Spain. Geography The surrounding municipalities are Benafer, Fuente la Reina, Gaibiel, Higueras, Jérica, Montán, Pavías, Pina de Montalgrao, Villanuev ...

, among others, before finishing in Barracas, the last town in the

province of Castellón Castellón (); co-officially in ) is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east. T ...

before entering Teruel. Measuring around 70 kilometres, this section of the route rises around 800 metres, from the Mediterranean to the ''Meseta Central'' ("Inner Plateau"),. The route's surface alternates between

asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...

, compacted

gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...

and earth. The route passes through 15 former

railway tunnels Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...

and crosses eight bridges and is equipped with various rest areas. ''Ojos Negros II'': this section starts in Barracas (Castellón) and passes through the municipalities of

Sarrión Sarrión is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 1,049 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities in Teruel This is a list of the municipa ...

(known as the world

truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, one of the species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''P ...

capital),

La Puebla de Valverde La Puebla de Valverde is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 508 inhabitants. This town is located at the feet of the Sierra de Camarena, Sist ...

and

Cella In Classical architecture, a or naos () is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extended meanings: of a hermit's or monk's cell, and (since the 17th century) of a biological cell ...

, among others, before finishing in the village of

(Teruel). It measures 91 kilometres and crosses the highest point on the Ojos Verdes Greenway,

, located at an altitude of 1218 m.a.s.l., and some 15 kilometres outside the town of Teruel. The route, which alternates stretches of asphalt with stretches of compacted earth and of ballast, passes through five tunnels and crosses 13

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

s. This section of the Via Verde de Ojos Negros has been developed within the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food's Natural Trails Programme In May, 2020, the relevant administrative licences were granted to allow the connection of the Vía Verde de Ojos Negros to the Cantabrian coast, following the route of the planned Santander - Sagunto railway.

Signage

The Ojos Negros greenway is equipped with abundant Vía Verde kilometre-, direction- and information signs from Algímia d'Alfara to Barracas. As the greenway enters the province of Teruel, the route is equipped with signs belonging to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food's Natural Trails (''Caminos naturales'') programme.

Illumination

Certain of the tunnels along the route are equipped with artificial illumination (permanent or motion-sensor activated), although it is recommended that users (and especially cyclists) carry their own lights.

Climate

The Valencian coastline enjoys a typical hot-summer Mediterranean climate, classified as Csa under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

and characterised by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters with infrequent frosts in inland locations. The province of Teruel is classified as Bsk under Köppen, denoting a cold semi-arid climate with warm to hot summers and dry, cold winters. The highest temperature recorded at the Teruel Observatory is 39.3 °C (August 4, 2007), whilst the lowest is 22.5 °C (December 26, 2001). Snowfall is not unusual during the winter months. Precipitation is lowest in winter (not summer, unlike most of Spain) and highest at the end of spring. Due to the high summer temperatures in Valencia and the sub-zero temperatures and snowfall often registered in Teruel during the winter, the optimum seasons for completing the route are

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

and

autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

Difficulty

The Ojos Negros greenway does not present any great difficulties for most users given that, in common with most railway lines, the average gradient is 3-5%, and is considered suitable for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and those with disabilities.

Accommodation

There are numerous accommodation options available along the Via Verde de Ojos Negros greenway, ranging from hostels and hotels to campsites, cabins and private houses.

Access

As has been noted, in many stretches the rail trail runs parallel to the main Sagunto - Teruel -

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

railway, which has several stations nearby, including: Sagunto, Segorbe, Barracas, Rubielos de Mora,

Mora de Rubielos Mora de Rubielos is a municipality located in the mountainous area of the Iberian System, province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2009 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 1,756 inhabitants. Mora de Rubielos has a beaut ...

, Puerto de Escandón,

, Cella y

. Additionally, the C-5 line of the Valencia local train service stops in Estivella, Algimia de Alfara,

Soneja Soneja is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alto Palancia, Castellón, Valencia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de ...

Navajas Navajas is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alto Palancia, Castellón, Valencia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punt ...

and

, all of which are to be found on the first section of the route. (Cyclists are recommended to consult train operator

RENFE Renfe (, ), officially Renfe-Operadora, is Spain's national state-owned railway company. It was created in 2005 upon the split of the former Spanish National Railway Network (RENFE) into the Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias ( ...

about possible restrictions on boarding trains with bicycles to avoid any last minute surprises.) Similarly, the aforementioned A-23 motorway follows the rail trail closely, allowing access via the many villages and towns along the route (for example, Villa de Altura).

Tourism

The route passes through numerous location of architectural interest, including the city of

, with its

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

and medieval walls,

, which is host to a múdejar tower that has been declared a national historic-artistic monument,

Albentosa Albentosa is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2007 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 334 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities in Teruel This is a list of the municipal ...

, la

. The ''comarcas'' which the Ojos Negros I crosses or passes include 18 Protected Natural Areas (''Espacios Naturales Protegidos''), including Sierra Calderona, Sierra del Espadán and Dehesa de Soneja, as well as Mediterranean

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

forests. Ojos Negros II passes through or within 5 kilometres of nine protected natural areas (''espacios naturales protegidos''), including Los Sabinares del Puerto de Escadón,

, Estrechos del Río

Mijares Mijares is a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating popul ...

, Sierra de Javalambre II, Los Yesares and Laguna de Tortajada and Cueva del Húmero, as well as crossing the valleys of

Alfambra Alfambra is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. , the municipality has a population of 676 inhabitants. This locality is famous for the Battle of Alfambra fought in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War Historical Orig ...

and JilocaVía Verde de Ojos Negros II. Natural Spaces and Red Natura 2000 (Spanis

/ref>

References

External links

{{Commons category, Vía Verde de Ojos Negros
"Comunitat Valenciana", Valencian Regional Government Tourism Portal. Ojos Negros Greenway. Information on travel options.

Guide to Ojos Negros Greenway I, including route information, accommodation, useful contact information, etc.

Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food. Ojos Negros Greenway

Ojos Negros I Greenway: Algimia de Alfara (Valencia) to Barracas (Castellón)

Ojos Negros II Greenway: Barracas (Castellón) and Santa Eulalia (Teruel)

''Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles'' (Spanish Railways Foundation)

UNESCO. Múdejar architecture of Aragón.

Ciudad de Teruel. Múdejar art.

PREDIF (''Plataforma Representativa Estatal de Personas con Discapacidad Física''). National body dedicated to the diffusion of information on Spain's Greenways for those with disabilities. (Spanish)

Renfe Operadora. Spanish state passenger and freight train operator. (English)

La Puebla de Valverde Town Council. What to see. (Spanish)

Government of Aragon. Cultural Heritage. Múdejar route. (Spanish)

"Camino Natural del Santander-Mediterráneo". Outline of the planned extension of the Ojos Negros Greenway to the Cantabrian Coast. Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Spanish)
Greenways Hiking trails in Spain Rail trails in Spain Cycleways in Spain Geography of the Province of Valencia Geography of the Province of Castellón Geography of the Province of Teruel