Its route extends for about 20 km through the surroundings of the Monfragüe National Park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Meadown of hold oaks and cork oaks from the bucolic landscape that leaves us the stretch of an old variant of the Madrid-Valencia de Alcántara railway.
To the south of the town of Malpartida de Plasencia. From Las Habazas (near Monfragüe station) to the bridge over the asphalted track to the Caserío de Urdimalas country house (this track links the country house to the EX-108 road)
Malpartida de Plasencia. Caceres. Extremadura
Length:17,60 km + 2,4 of paved road
Municipalities: Malpartida de Plasencia
Users:
Accessibility:
Steep slopes where the greenway passes under the railway at Km 4 and between Km 7 and Km 13. This 6 km long stretch is an alternative route running parallel to the rail bed, currently in use.
It is necessary to open rustic wire gates where the greenway passes under the railway at Km 13, and at the end of the greenway to get on to the track to Urdimalas (Km 17).
Type of surface:
Asphalt-treated gravel
Natural setting:
Wild meadow of holm oak with shrubs of rose, rosemary and brooms. Perimeter of the Monfragüe National Park and Biosphere Reserve
Cultural heritage:
Malpartida de Plasencia: Parish church of San Juan Bautista and chapels of San Blas, La Virgen de la Luz, San Gregorio and San Cristóbal.
Infrastructure:
Greenway. 4 wooden walkways, 2 overpasses over the railway, two ruined squares and a cattle loading
Facilities:
Signage, wooden railings, cattle grids and three wooden footbridges
Greenway accesses:
Malpartida de Plasencia
Western end of the greenway: Las Habazas. Km 8.5 of the EX-208 road (near Monfragüe station)
Km 6 of the greenway: on the CC-116, asphalted track starting at Malpartida de Plasencia
Eastern end: Overpass over the asphalted track leading to the Urdimalas country house
How to get there:
Bus
Avanza & Alsa companies
Train
Monfragüe station (Malpartida de Plasencia) Madrid-Valencia line from Alcántara
The Monfragüe Greenway runs through one of the Iberian Peninsula’s most pristine areas of Mediterranean scrubland and woodland, a real paradise for nature lovers and birdwatchers.
Km. 0
The greenway runs for 17.62 km along the old route of the Madrid-Valencia de Alcántara line via Malpartida de Plasencia, extending 2.3 km more along an asphalt road as far as Haza de la Concepción (Malpartida de Plasencia). Malpartida is considered one of the gateways to the National Park. Before beginning, we recommend going to the North Visitor Centre (EX-208 road, km 9), which opened in 2018 and is located very close to the greenway itself.
After the Visitor Centre, we set off for the km 0 of the greenway in Las Habazas, near the campsite and Monfragüe Train Station, more specifically at km 8.5 of the EX-208 road. If you arrived by train in Monfragüe Station (located less than 2 km from the beginning of the greenway), you will have to take the small road leading from the station to Malpartida. When you reach the EX-208 road, you will see the Las Habazas restaurant.
Monfragüe Station (formerly known as “Palazuelo-Empalme”) used to receive intercity trains from Madrid, Huelva, Zafra, Badajoz, Merida or Caceres. It is worth noting that it is the km 0 of the Plasencia–Astorga line, of which the connection with Plasencia is still operational. Closed in 1984, the former “Ruta de la Plata” line is now being restored as a greenway.
Before beginning the greenway, we recommend visiting the old railway settlement of Monfragüe, which is expected to be declared a Cultural Heritage Site (“BIC”, in its Spanish acronym).
Km. 4,3
Once we get started, we go down to km 4 surrounded by holm oaks, thickets of rockrose, thyme and broom, which dominate this wooded pastureland of great beauty –this itinerary in spring is a real joy. Another inseparable travelling companion will be the operating railway line, with the odd train passing by now and again. The route bends to the left, while crossing the Tamujoso stream over an attractive wooden footbridge. It is the first of 4 that we will encounter along the way.
Shortly, we will cross the tracks by means of a prefabricated bridge –be careful with the slope and the steep ramps leading up to it!– located above a local road, with the greenway now on the right of the railway line, followed by a second footbridge above the stream called Arroyo Grande or Carrascal and a third one connecting with the CCV-116 asphalt road, which leads to the small town of Malpartida de Plasencia, about 5 km from the route. We are now at km 6 of the itinerary.
Apart from being the gateway to the National Park, Malpartida also stands out due to its impressive Church of San Juan Bautista, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1990.
We soon come to the abandoned station of Malpartida. It is worth having a look around to see traces and testimonies of railway activity, including old wooden sleepers that still have the coach screws that were used to fasten them –they are marked by the letters “RN,” which stands for “Red National” (i.e. Renfe) or National Network.
After passing the station, the route runs parallel to the railway line rather than on the old railway route. This means that we are going to lose some of the accessibility that we previously enjoyed. This intermediate stretch, between km 7 and km 13, zigzags through a section featuring amusing dips, ascents and descents with some ramps that are a bit more difficult. The landscape now includes the presence of cork groves, with some beautiful specimens.
Km. 13,7
At km 13, the track takes a wide bend to the left and our route heads over the operational railway tracks, by means of a concrete bridge. Be careful with the steep slope! We are now on the left side of the railway tracks, and the platform featuring a bend this wide indicates that we have returned to the old railway line.
It is worth highlighting something that we must keep in mind: in order to pass through certain points, we have to open and close rustic gates made of wire, as is the case when crossing the railway line at km 13.
The greenway descends gently in a wide bend towards the north. This will be the last section, featuring the densest vegetation and the greatest silence, being located further from the railway tracks. The fourth (and last) aesthetic wooden footbridge over the Haza stream leads to the end of the itinerary. We reach the finish in just 1.5 km, but not before noticing a signal box in ruins. The line ends 2 km before reaching the bridge of La Bazagona over the Tiétar River. Nevertheless, since this end has not yet been connected with other routes, it should be considered a linear, two-way route.
Those that have accessed the aforementioned country road can continue the route along the asphalt road (signposted itinerary) as far as Haza de la Concepción (2.4 km away), a small village that enables you to reach the EX-108 road. From here, Malpartida’s La Bazagona neighbourhood is 3.5 km away.
This railway line saw its first train pass by on October 20, 1881. The company called “Sociedad de los Ferrocarriles de Madrid a Cáceres y a Portugal, M.C.P,” which had just acquired “Sociedad de los Ferrocarriles de Cáceres a Malpartida de Plasencia y a la frontera portuguesa,” started operating the sections from La Bazagona to Malpartida de Plasencia and from this station to Plasencia-Empalme. They both formed part of this branch line of the Iberian Peninsula’s railway network that came down from Madrid to the vicinity of Caceres (Arroyo-Malpartida Station), where it connected in turn with the first railway line that linked Caceres and Lisbon.
In 1895, M.C.P merged with “Oeste” to create the “Compañía de Explotación de los Ferrocarriles de Madrid a Cáceres y Portugal y del Oeste de España,” a company that was bailed out by the State in 1928 due to its poor economic performance. It was a good opportunity to reduce its name to “Compañía de los Ferrocarriles del Oeste de España,” or “Oeste” for short. Like all broad-gauge railways, in 1941 it was integrated into the new National Network (Renfe), in which trains arrived in Plasencia-Empalme Station (thereafter called Palazuelo and now Monfragüe). “Empalme” (junction) was added to its name because it connected with the “Ruta de la Plata,” the long railway line that crosses the entire western Iberian Peninsula as far as Astorga. Unfortunately, it was closed in the 1990s.
On November 15, 1990, a new route was opened that eliminated several bends. This meant that the trains did not have to reduce their speed and, in addition, it saved about 1,300 m of tracks. And part of this forgotten route is included in this greenway. Furthermore, there will soon be a third, much faster route: the new AVE (high-speed) line from Madrid to Extremadura.
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CONDITIONED GREENWAY
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