Guadiamar Green Corridor

The Guadiamar River is, to this day, an overflowing source of life. To speak of the "Corredor Verde" (Green Passage) is to speak of the River of Princes, as the Moors called it: Wadi-Amar. This is the last major tributary of the Guadalquivir before it reaches the sea, and it has its source in the village of Castillo de las Guardas, in the Sierra Morena Mountains.

In Sierra Morena, amongst holm oaks, it gets ready for its journey southwards, initially through areas of Mediterranean mountain landscapes and pastureland. Further on it enters areas of cereal crops and olive groves close to the Aljarafe cornice, and little by little it approaches the marshlands of Doñana through sandy areas and pine woods. Further down, close to the village of Aznalcázar, the riverine forest is ever more luxuriant. In its lower section, it goes by wetlands and rice fields. A great diversity of birds, among wich the black kite and Montagu's harrier.

The Guadiamar cycle-touring route runs for more than 70 kilometres and shows you the variety and diversity of the river's middle and lower sections. This route can also be done on horseback or on foot. In its middle section, the river runs through the Aljarafe countryside, passing villages such as Gerena and Huévar, where you can see Roman baths and Medieval churches.

Aznalcázar is home to the Guadiamar Visitor Centre and El Buitrago Botanical Garden. The start of the route in the latter of these has marks on the trees that show the levels reached by mud after the Aznalcóllar mine disaster in 1998. This was one of the worst environmental disasters in Spain, and brought about the protection of this eco-corridor that now links Sierra Morena and Doñana, allowing for the interchange of species between the two areas.

In its lower section, meanwhile, the nearby wetlands and rice fields are ideal for a great diversity of bird life that you can see in the Dehesa de Abajo and La Cañada de los Pájaros Nature Reserves. The final kilometres of the river run through Entremuros. This area has also been restored and offers a variety of flora and fauna.

Fauna and flora

The Green Corridor of the Guadiamar River is today a fountain overflowing with life, the river of princes, as it called by the Moors: Wadi-Amar, the last great tributary of the Guadalquivir before it flows into the sea. It rises near the municipality of Castillo de las Guardas, in the Sierra Morena mountains, surrounded by holm oaks, meadows and the Mediterranean hillside. It soon starts to flow along the Aljarafe ledge, between cornfields and olive groves before entering the sands and pine forests of Doñana. Further downstream, in the vicinity of the municipality of Aznalcázar, the wooded gallery gains strength as it alternates between marshes and paddy fields. Finally, channelled between walls, it embraces the Guadalquivir surrounded by a great variety and wealth of flora and fauna. On the outskirts of Aznalcázar, just a few metres from the banks of the Guadiamar River, you will find the Guadiamar Visitor Centre, managed by GUADIAMAREDUCA. This serves as the starting point for visits to the Green Corridor and its surroundings. The privileged location provides views from the top of the building over the watercourse and the dense woods overhanging this part of the river, as well as an old Roman bridge, a testament to the historical and cultural importance of the river and its basin. The visitor centre provides abundant information on the meaning and development of this protected landscape. Restoration work undertaken after the mining accident that occurred in 1998, led to the creation of the Guadiamar Green Corridor, an ecological corridor that connects the Sierra Morena mountains and the Doñana, enabling the free circulation of species. Visitors will also learn about the importance of the variety landscapes through which the Guadiamar flows along its path: pastures, pine woods, cornfields and marshes. The vegetation to be found in these landscapes can also be seen more comfortably in the nearby Buitrago Botanical Gardens.