Greenwaand (Vía Verde) de Segura

Km 114.5

The Segura Natural Trail–Greenway, promoted by the Provincial Council of Jaén and developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 2015, is a truly unspoilt route surrounded by nature and landscapes. Visitors should be aware that the nearby towns, and therefore opportunities to obtain supplies, are located some distance from the route. It begins beside the kilometre 217 marker on the Bailén–Albacete national road (N-322), two kilometres from Arroyo del Ojanco and one kilometre from its abandoned railway station. There is no designated car park on the left-hand side of the road when travelling towards Albacete, although there is sufficient space to park several vehicles. Information panels and signs indicate the starting point.

The first kilometre descends towards the Guadalimar River viaduct, a monumental concrete structure with a 175-metre-long deck supported by five wide arches. The viaduct also provides an exceptional viewpoint overlooking the river’s gallery forest. The Guadalimar River is the lowest point on the route.

After crossing the Guadalimar River, the route of the former railway has been occupied for 1.5 km by the access road to a biogas plant. The alternative is a parallel path which, in order to negotiate the overpasses, includes several ascending and descending slopes.

When the asphalt road branches away at km 118, the route once again takes over the former railway platform. The Segura Greenway regains the advantages of the original railway route and begins a long journey through a landscape of rolling hills, dominated by orderly rows of olive trees and alternating areas of uncultivated land covered with Spanish broom, dotted with isolated trees and small patches of pine forest. In the distance, high mountains rise on both sides, their olive groves extending upwards until they meet the dense pine forests crowning the summits.

Across such difficult terrain, the railway was able to maintain long straight sections thanks to its most characteristic engineering structures. High embankments built over stream valleys alternate with cuttings through raised terrain and cut-and-cover tunnels in places where the earthy walls of the cuttings were too unstable.

From km 122 onwards, it becomes easier to see a deep gorge opening in the mountain range that closes off the southern horizon on the right. The Guadalimar River has carved a passage through the Sierra de Segura, where the town of La Puerta de Segura occupies a strategic location. In the distance, beyond the gorge and perched on a hill, the castle and village of Segura de la Sierra can be seen overlooking the boundaries of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park.

Within sight of the hamlet of La Agracea, at km 124.5, there is another important point on the route. A shooting range stands to one side, and its bar is the only place near the greenway where visitors can obtain supplies. 

Km 125

At km 125, the original route of the Baeza–Utiel railway has been severed by the N-322 road. The gravel path ends at the intersecting JV-7001 road. As the former railway alignment has disappeared, the alternative is to share the lightly trafficked road with other vehicles. Turning right, the road rises over an overpass and crosses above the N-322 in the direction of La Puerta de Segura, located 6 km from the greenway. This interruption, which is clearly signposted, is marked by an old steamroller raised on an unusual pedestal: a former railway track overpass.
Around 200 metres further on, a gravel track on the left descends to rejoin the original railway alignment and allows vehicles to reach the car park provided beside the first station on the route.
 
The former Puente de Génave station, at km 125.3, follows the same architectural design as the other stations. It consists of a main passenger building and a goods warehouse, each with its respective platform. Here, however, there is also a livestock loading platform, which is not present at the other stations, alongside which a rest area has been provided.
 
It is worth mentioning that there is a new 5 km cycle lane between the town of Puente de Génave and La Puerta de Segura. This provides an excellent opportunity to reach this beautiful town and the heart of the Natural Park safely.
 
Beyond the station, the railway route winds around the courses of the Gavilán and Moral streams. The alignment curves around deep valleys with steep slopes. In this unspoilt environment, pine forest begins to spread towards the route, first reaching it through the intermittent ravines crossed by high embankments and eventually becoming the dominant feature. The pine trees enhance the route between the hamlet of Bonache, at km 126.7, shortly before crossing into the Natural Park, and the cutting at km 129. This section includes a rest area at km 128.2, an idyllic place to stop, where the greenery and shade of the pine trees create an oasis.

As the route crosses the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, the dominant landscape of olive groves and uncultivated land returns. The vegetation changes, but the surrounding stream valleys continue to shape the route. The Segura Greenway then enters a large cutting with high rocky walls that curves to the left, rises over two high embankments providing views across the deep valley and finally passes underground. The Génave Tunnel, at km 132, is the longest on the route and consists of a straight, 277-metre gallery in excellent condition. However, it has no lighting, so visitors are advised to bring a torch or bicycle lights.

Km 133.5

A long straight section through uncultivated land leads to Génave station, at km 133.5, where there is a rest area, a car park and access from the Génave road, the JV-7053.

Beyond Génave station, the rolling landscape returns. The former railway platform once again follows long straight sections between olive groves and uncultivated fields. The surroundings are similar, although the panoramic views are different. On the left-hand side, towards the north, Sierra Morena gradually descends and the landscape opens up. The view extends across the boundaries of the province of Jaén and may even reach the Campos de Montiel region in Ciudad Real. 

Km 137

The section through the Natural Park comes to an end beside an overpass near the Santa María farmhouse. The ruined buildings and rugged surroundings create a strong sense of isolation. From this farmhouse onwards, the landscape changes radically. Olive groves are no longer ever-present. They continue to dominate the distant mountains, but along the edges of the route they alternate with fields of herbaceous crops and uncultivated land covered with Spanish broom and holm oaks. The latter even form a small woodland extending for around one hundred metres.
 
Villarrodrigo station, at km 140, has a rest area and an access point. Beyond the station lies the final section of the route: a gentle 1.5 km descent through flat cereal fields. The Segura Greenway ends at the provincial boundary with Albacete, at km 141.5. However, the journey can continue for another 19.5 km along the Sierra de Alcaraz Greenway, or even as far as the city of Albacete, although a further 16 km section beyond Reolid station and towards the town of Alcaraz has not yet been restored. 

Facilities
Information and evacuation panels, direction signs, railings, bollards and replanted vegetation along the edges of the route. Rest areas with tables, benches, litter bins and bicycle parking facilities. Access points at the stations.
 
The beginning of the Segura Greenway is marked as km 114.5 with a view to its future integration with other already signposted sections in both Jaén and Albacete. At km 131.5, there is an original series of railway markers bearing the initials B-U, standing for Baeza–Utiel. These belonged to the former Baeza–Utiel railway, whose starting point, km 0, was located in Linares.