La Maquinilla Rail Trail

Travel to one of Spain's most important points of industrial heritage.

With a length of 8 kilometres, the La Maquinilla Rail Trail joins the towns of Belmez and Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo along the platform of La Maquinilla, the old mining railway from Cabeza de Vaca to El Porvenir de la Industria. Its is practically flat, making it ideal for crossing on foot or by bicycle for people of all ages. We must highlight from the outset the variety of landscapes that we can see in these eight kilometres: First urban, then entirely farmlands, followed by a mining area, the industrial landscape of El Cerco and we will finish up in the town of Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo.

This rail trail starts at the level crossing on the current road to Cordoba, near which are the Belmez, Aurora and San Antonio pits, old coal mines that led to the industrialisation of this region.

A viewpoint set up in the old pit no. 3 allows us to contemplate —from above— the Sierra Boyera Reservoir on the Guadiato River and a general view of the Cerco Industrial. Not far away, we can make out Fuente Obejuna, immortalised centuries ago by the writings of Lope de Vega. We also see the Peñarroya Station. As a monument to what mining was to this region, we pass the derrick for pit no. 4 and finally enter the Cerco Industrial de Peñarroya. The largest group of industrial chimneys in the south of Spain are the highlights here, with some up to 35 metres high, and the group of buildings that were created since the end of the 19th century around the lead foundry belonging to the Mining and Metallurgical Society of Peñarroya, which dates back to 1891 and was the largest in Europe of its time.

There are other important buildings such as the Nordon warehouse, the train shed, the old power plant, and the restored La Yutera warehouses and the central storehouse. The latter, built in 1910 to the enormous size of 14,000 square metres, was designed by Gustave Eiffel's firm. Here is where our La Maquinilla Rail Trailends, next to the Plaza de Santa Barbara, in the centre of Pueblonuevo.

We also have a spacious car park here. However, we can continue on along the four kilometres of bike lane that use the platform of the Peñarroya to Puertollano narrow railway line to skirt around the French quarter and the town of Pueblonuevo, passing the magnificent PMMC Management building, the old mining hospital, the French School, the flour factory and the Pueblonuevo del Terrible narrow railway station.