Accessible rail trails in Seville

The little things in life. Although rail trails are old railway lines, no train ever passed along the Sierra Rail Trail in the Baetic System. Today, it is a route consisting of road surfaces, tunnels and viaducts that serve as trails for hikers, cycling enthusiasts and people whose reduced mobility doesn't prevent them from enjoying expeditions that involving diving into nature.

The Province of Seville has several rail trails, such as Itálica and El Ronquillo. In terms of accessible tourism, there is Sierra Rail Trail, in addition to another two trails inherited from the railway, which the Spanish Railway Foundation has been recovering since 1993 in collaboration with other institutions: Sierra Norte de Sevilla Rail Trail and La Campiña Rail Trail. Get your bag packed and let's go!

Sierra Rail Trail

Its 36 kilometres situates users, within the rail trail map, between Puerto Serrano and Olvera. The route includes the provinces of Cadiz and Seville, and it possesses a fundamental attraction for fans of bird-watching: griffon vulture reserves that can be discerned at the impressive Peñón de Zaframagón. It is a flatter route - as it was formerly a railway line there aren't many hills - thus contributing to accessibility. Sierra Rail Trail has three adapted bicycles to facilitate access to users with disabilities. If you will be visiting in a wheelchair and driving your own car, there are seven access points (there are five sections that can be transited by Persons of Reduced Mobility).

Passing through Castillo Tunnel - which is almost a kilometre long and which was considered a wonderful feat of engineering at the time - and seeing how it is lit up with its solar panels is a true spectacle. The old stopping places, including the station at Coripe, are today places where you can rest, recharge your batteries and pause along the way.

Sierra Norte de Sevilla Rail Trail

In the north of the province is an accessible rail trail that wants for nothing: exceptional biodiversity, a mining past, Roman archaeological remains… Three of its sections can be tackled by Persons of Reduced Mobility (PRM). Its total distance is not very long: 18 kilometres that appear short to those who are well-equipped with snacks, comfortable clothing and even raincoats in case it rains!

It must be said that this is also a Biosphere Reserve, a title that corresponds to Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park. The vertical landscape of its chestnut trees provides extraordinary shade (and canes for olive-growers in Jaén). The wealth of fauna amounts to almost 200 bird species, combined with more than a dozen reptiles, butterflies, and a range of vegetation (Andalusian forest, especially Mediterranean specimens). If you hear a bleating sound, don't worry: flocks of sheep share the trail with you, as it should be. You're not alone, by any means.

La Campiña Rail Trail

Today, Andalusia's rail trails constitute an excellent way to discover our natural heritage… They are also a great way to physically communicate towns, small villages and even provinces (this is something even locals highlight). La Campiña Rail Trail, for example, starts in Cordoba and finishes in neighbouring Seville. Specifically, in Marchena. This Sevillan municipality, where the route's 84.52 kilometres terminate, has some sections that are suitable and practical for people with physical disabilities.