The Spanish greenway chosen by "The Guardian" among its discoveries of the year
The Val del Zafán greenway, between Teruel and Tarragona, is one of the longest in Spain, with 101 kilometers already prepared
The year that has just ended (also the one that is beginning) has been as difficult as we all know for travel, with little movement for both professionals and the public. However, the media have not abandoned their habit of reviewing the best of the last twelve months and, from there, proposing those destinations when possible. They are the "discoveries" of the year , as the Financial Times calls them, which Cáceres included in its list a few weeks ago. Or the best travel experiences, according to the expression used by The New York Times .
This time we have looked at the list of The Guardian , which has also included among its 2020 discoveries a Spanish proposal: the Vía Verde del Val del Zafán , which runs along the old Zafán Valley railway (it operated from 1942 to 1973 ), which linked Aragon with the Mediterranean.
This is one of the longest and most spectacular greenways in Spain, between the provinces of Teruel and Tarragona. There are about 170 kilometers full of contrasts, of which just over a hundred have been recovered for tourist use, perfect for cycling. Today you can pedal uninterruptedly from the Valdealgorfa station, in Lower Aragon, to Tortosa , either in one stage or in several, with time to get to know charming towns like Valderrobres .
In Teruel there are two sections whose union has not yet finished conditioning. The first, 18.7 km long, goes from the Adif station in La Puebla de Híjar to the old station (it was completed in 1895) in Puigmoreno (Alcañiz), now abandoned . Tractors or other vehicles may appear on the road. The second, in perfect condition for sports and tourist use, of 33.6 km, takes us to the Matarraña region , between the Valdealgorfa station (Teruel) and the Arnés-Lledó station (Tarragona-Teruel, respectively).
In Tarragona you can also talk about two sections. The first, 23 km long, is in the region of Terra Alta, around the Sierra de Pandols and the Ports Natural Park , where caves, pools and chasms abound. The second, 26 km long, winds through the Bajo Ebro (Delta de l'Ebre natural park) , almost always near the river.
The Terra Alta layout, from Arnés to Pinell de Brai, runs through impressive natural spaces, such as the mountain landscapes and natural ponds that are found between Horta de San Juan, Bot and Prat de Comte. Along the way is the old Benifallet railway station , now converted into a gastronomic restaurant and accommodation (room and breakfast, 39 euros). And at the end the monumental heritage of Tortosa always awaits , from the Cathedral of Santa María to the castle of La Suda.
The works of this railway line between La Puebla de Híjar and Tortosa date back to 1882. However, from the beginning they suffered countless setbacks, until its completion in 1941. The train that circulated here -often between vine plantations- known as "El Sarmentero . " In 1971 the Prat de Compte tunnel collapsed. And in 1973 it was decided to close the road without it ever being repaired.
In Spain there are more than 3,100 kilometers of disused railway infrastructures that have been converted for tourist use (routes on foot or by bike) within the framework of the Vías Verdes program. The one in Ojos Negros, between Teruel and the Valencian coast, is –for the moment– the longest: 167.5 km.
