Tarazonica Greenway
Tudela and Tarazona are two historic cities in Navarra and Aragón respectively that have been linked for centuries by a great many ties and, up until 30 plus years ago, by a train, El Tarazónica.
Now we can follow its route on an interesting journey from the banks of the river Ebro to the foot of the Moncayo mountain, thanks to a newly created Greenway.
TECHNICAL DATA
CONDITIONED GREENWAY
From the Ebro river to Moncayo, on the banks of Queiles river
LOCATION
Between Tudela (Navarra) and Tarazona (Aragón) NAVARRA- ARAGÓN
Length: 22 km
Users:
Type of surface: Greenway with with mixed surface: asphalt and compacted soil
Natural landscape: Queiles Valley. Somontano of the Moncayo. Moncayo Natural Park
Cultural Heritage: Monumental cities of Tudela and Tarazona. Cistercian Monastery of Tulebras. Museo del Agua of Malón (Water Museum)
Infrastructure: Greenway. 1 gateway
How to get there: Tudela:Medium and long distance RENFE services, Zaragoza-Castejón line.(*) Please ask the conditions of bike admittance in Renfe trains
Tarazona: Conda Bus Company. Tudela-Tarazona line. Therpasa Bus Company, Zaragoza-Tarazona line
Connections: Pamplona: 92 Kms to Tudela Zaragoza: 85 Kms to Tarazona
Maps: Spanish National Topographic. 1:50.000 scale 282 and 320sheets
Official road map of the Ministry of Public Works. Ministerio de Fomento
More information on the Greenways guide Volume 2
DESCRIPTION
Km. 0 / Km. 3,3 / Km. 6 / Km. 7,6 / Km. 10 / Km. 12 / Km. 15 / Km. 22
Km 0
The route begins at the present-day railway station. After visiting the city, home to a vast architectural heritage, we leave the station by a newly built ramp that takes us onto a green painted cycle path on a street called Camino Caritat which will lead us to the Greenway proper. Just before we leave this medieval city we pass by an old steam locomotive – now the centrepiece of a fountain – which used to run on the Tarazonica railway.
The street leads to a bridge over the active Renfe railway lines. Once on the other side we turn left onto the Greenway and start to follow the old Tarazonica line. Here the old railway parts company with the main Renfe lines and makes quite a sharp curve to the south towards Tarazona and the Moncayo mountain.
After crossing the old main road we begin to see fields of vegetables, a typical sight along the lowlands of the Ebro and Queiles and one which will dominate the landscape for practically the entire journey. We also embark on a series of long straight sections which will make our journey just a little bit faster.
Km 3,3
A rural track appears on our right which forms part of the route the Tarazonica used to take when it was a narrow gauge railway, before it was taken over by Renfe. From here the railway took a straighter route into Tudela station, past the city's bullring. Shortly we arrive at a rest area scattered with railway artefacts.
Km 4.
After crossing the Ablitas road by a new, purpose-built bridge, we arrive at an olive grove. Once on the other side of the road our Greenway crosses the Canal de Lodosa which irrigates the local vegetable fields with water from the Ebro. For those wishing to
make an extra excursion, the access tracks to the canal provide alternative routes. To the left of this canal lies the Canal Imperial de Aragón and, if we still want more, these access paths link up with other disused railways: the Cinco Villas Greenway (between Sádaba and Gallur) and the Campo de Borja Greenway (between Agón and Borja).
Km 6
On the other side of the canal, another straight run leading us nearer the Moncayo mountain passes underneath a motorway and a rural track before arriving at Murchante station. The station is nearly 2 km from the village of Murchante and there is a plan to convert the station building into a hostel for travellers. However, it is already an ideal place to take a break as the railway yard has been converted into a rest area. Once beyond Murchante the landscape is once again dominated by fields of vegetables. The rail bed of the previous narrow gauge railway curves towards us on our left and then runs almost parallel to our Greenway until we enter the town of Cascante.
Km 7,6
A little further on we pass by the ruins of the abandoned village of Urzante. Then we start to climb gradually towards the first major embankment on our route, where we pass by dense reed beds growing in pools of standing water alongside the railway track. From this viewpoint we can catch a glimpse of the village of Cascante on our right and the spectacular cloister leading up to the Basilica del Romero
Km 10
We soon arrive at Cascante station, where another rest area awaits us. Here we can see the peculiar station building that used to serve the narrow gauge railway, built on a higher level than the modern one
Km 12
Our arrival at Tulebras is signalled by the outer wall of the Monastery of Santa María de la Caridad, founded in the 12th century as the first Cistercian convent for nuns in Spain. This monastery is intimately linked with our Greenway, since the old station building of Tulebras forms part of the monastic precinct, and passengers are free to walk round its
courtyards and cloisters. After visiting the convent, we can enjoy the rest area on the banks of the river Queiles, in Tulebras – the last village in Navarra. The rest area is just a short distance from the station on the Barillas road.
Another good place to stop is a bridge just over 500 metres out of Tulebras, which is high enough to provide a good view of the Greenway and its surrounding area. From here we can see the orchards, the greyish heights of the Moncayo mountain – snow capped from November to March - and, at the end of a long straight section, the village of Malón.
Km 15
We arrive at the two stations of Malón; one used to be for the narrow gauge railway and the other for the broad gauge railway. A family of railway workers still live in the latter, where old railway artefacts leave us in no doubt about its origins. A rest area has been prepared on one of the platforms for those wishing to take a break.
Above us and to our left the village of Malón sits on a hill. At the top of the hill there is an esplanade, the parade ground of a long gone castle. The battlements have disappeared, but there is still a good view over the Queiles lowlands.
We continue on our way and once again the rail bed of the old narrow gauge railway appears, this time on our right. Further on there are a number of large groves of trees, the first of which has been prepared as a rest area.
Km 16
Now we enter a cutting nearly two kilometres long. For those not wishing to take that route there is an alternative one using the route of the old narrow gauge line. This route, to the right and above the main one, takes a longer and curvier way round but affords us better views of the valley. Both lines meet again at the site of the Apeadero de Vierlas, a railway halt that was built but never used.
Orchards of fruit trees, which in spring are heavy with blossom, line this part of the route. A rest area has been prepared in a densely wooded spot of this bucolic area.
Km 22
Now we are approaching Tarazona and its station, the large main building of which is now a cultural centre. It is an eye-catching entrance to a city with a valuable architectural heritage, and a fitting end to our Tarazonica Greenway.
MAPS
PROFILE
RAILWAY HISTORY
It was around the year 1885 when the Compañía del Ferrocarril del Norte, the company that used to run the Zaragoza-Miranda line, among others, opened a modest narrow gauge railway linking Tudela station with the city of Tarazona in the province of Zaragoza. The railway, nicknamed “El Tarazonica”, was notoriously unreliable and slow, so much so that the locals also used to call it “El Escachamatas”.
After taking over the ailing line in 1953, Renfe widened the gauge to embark on a new phase that they hoped would be more successful. But coaches and trucks had already cornered the transport market in the area and so in 1972, after several years of relentless decline, the Tarazonica was closed. Its rusted and forgotten rails were removed some twenty years later.
INTERESTING DATA
1. Festivals and holidays 2. Accommodation 3. Eco-tourism 4. Managing Authority 5. Town Councils 6. Emergencies 7. Coaches & buses 8. Railway
Festivals and holidays
Tudela Easter
May 3 Romería del Cristo
Second weekend in May Jornadas de la Verdura. (vegetables days)
May 22 Romería de Santa Quiteria
Weekend in June Mercados de Antaño
June 24 San Juan
July 26 Santa Ana. Fiestas mayores de Tudela
Murchante Second weekend in Easter Virgen de Mis Manos
14 to 21 August San Roque
October 12 Romería a Urzante
Second weekend in November Cristo de la Buena Siembra
Cascante May 8 La Cruceta
May 25 Santa Vicenta y Vicuña
Second weekend in September Fiestas Patronales.
Ablitas Second weekend in April Fiesta del Plego
Second weekend in June Fiesta de la Juventud
September 14 Fiestas Patronales. Virgen del Rosario
Tulebras 20 to 23 August festividad de San Bernardo
Barillas First weekend in August festividad de San Miguel
Monteagudo Firs weekend in May fiestas de la Juventud
14 to 20 August festividad de San Roque
September 8 festividad de la Virgen del Camino
Novallas January 17 San Antón
Jueves de mitad de Cuaresma La“Vieja”. Romería a Santipol
June 30 festividad de San Marcial
September 14 Fiesta de la Cruz
December 4 Santa Bárbara
Vierlas May 8 San Miguel
22 to 26 August Santo Cristo
Malón January 16 Hogueras de San Antón
January 22 San Vicente
September 4 Fiesta de la Cruz
Tarazona January 17 festividad de San Antón
February 9 Santa Apolonia. Auroras y Roscones
May 8 San Miguel el Tramposo Celebración de la Tineta
June 23 Noche de San Juan
First Sunday in July Romería de Quililay
August 27 to September 1 Fiestas mayores. Cipotegato
November 7 Virgen del Río
October 5 San Atilano Fiestas patronales
Accommodation
Tudela Hotel Aire de Bardenas*** Tel. 948 11 66 66 www.hotelaire.com
Hotel NH Delta** Tel. 948 82 14 00 www.nh-hoteles.es
Hotel Ñ de Tudela*** Tel. 948 41 34 13 www.namhoteles.com
Hostal Torre Monreal Tel. 948 40 26 82 www.torremonreal.com
Hostal Pichorradicas-Casa Ignacio Tel. 948 82 10 21
Hotel AC Ciudad de Tudela Tel. 948 40 24 40 www.ac-hoteles.com
Hotel Santa María*** Tel. 948 82 12 00 www.hotelsantamaria.net
Hotel Tudela-Bardenas*** Tel. 948 41 08 02 www.tudelabardenas.com
Hostal Nueva Parrilla* Tel. 948 82 24 00
Hostal Remigio Tel. 948 82 08 50
Cascante Pensión Pinilla Tel. 948 85 04 14
Tulebras Hospedería del Monasterio de Tulebras Tel. 948 85 14 75
Torellas Casa de Turismo Rural Villahermosa Tel. 676 22 84 07
Malón Casa rural La Fabriquilla Tel. 628 295 506
Casa rural La Ontina Tel. 948 081 994
Novallas Casa rural Antiguo Casino Republicano Tel. 685 182 482 www.antiguocasino.net
Tarazona Hotel Brujas de Bécquer*** Tel.976 64 04 00 www.hotelbrujas.com
Hotel Condes de Visconti*** Tel. 976 64 49 08 www.condesdevisconti.com
Hostal Palacete de los Arcedianos Tel. 976 64 23 03 www.palacetearcedianos.com
Eco-tourism
Booking Information Office of Navarra Government Tel. 948 22 93 28
Navarra Federation Cottages . Tel. 948 59 21 77
Aragón Booking Office. Tel. 902 15 22 93
Moncayo Rural Tourism Association . Tel. 964 18 52 50
Tudela EDER Tourist Consortium Tel. 948 84 73 56.
La Ribera Tourist Consortium . Tel. 948 85 52 62.
Turist Office. Tel. 948 84 80 58.
Tarazona Turist Office. Tel. 976 64 00 74
Asociación para el Desarrollo de la Comarca del Moncayo (ASOMO) Tel. 976 64 46 96
Municipal Sports Department. Tel. 976 64 20 20
Tarazona and el Moncayo Comarca. Tel. 976 64 46 40
Tudela Museum. Tel. 948 40 21 61
Tudelatour. Tel. 948 82 03 67. [email protected]
Cara Norte-Bardenas Reales. Tel. 948 41 23 96/666 570 261
Naturaleza y aventura. Tel. 629 425 577 www.nataven.es
Girola Servicios Turísticos. Tel. 652 655 010
Tarazona Global Services. Tel. 659 107 606
Tarazona de Ocio. Tel. 649 967 666
Bikes rental Chiqui-Bike. Tel. 948 82 52 01 / 629 322 031
Ciclos Martón. Tel. 609 560 912
Managing Authority
Consorcio Vía Verde del Tarazonica Tel. 948 82 82 94
Town Councils
Tudela. Tel. 902 24 20 10 www.tudela.es
Murchante. Tel. 948 83 80 84 www.murchante.es
Cascante. Tel. 948 85 14 50 www.cascante.com
Ablitas. Tel. 948 81 32 12 www.ablitas.com
Tulebras. Tel. 948 85 00 15
Barillas. Tel. 948 85 00 38
Monteagudo. Tel. 948 81 66 47 www.monteagudo.es
Malón. Tel. 976 19 80 46
Novallas. Tel. 976 19 82 92 www.novallas.es
Vierlas. Tel. 976 64 00 62
Tarazona. Tel. 976 19 91 10 www.tarazona.es
Emergencies
EMERGENCIES: Tel. 062
Coaches & buses
Empresa de autobuses CONDA Líneas Pamplona,San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Tarazona, Soria y Madrid Tel. 948 82 03 42
Empresa de autobuses ARASA: Líneas Urbana, Fitero Tel. 948 82 002 82
Empresa de autobuses VIBASA: Líneas Barcelona, Valencia y Benidorm Tel. 948 82 84 43
Empresa de autobuses JIMENEZ: Línea Logroño Tel. 941 23 12 34
Railway
Tudela. RENFE. Tel. 948 82 06 46
LINKS
Tudela http://www.tudela.es Official web page of the Town Council.
Cascante http://www.cascante.com Official web page of Cascante Town Council
Tarazona http://www.tarazona.org Official web page of Tarazona Town Council.
MULTIMEDIA
VÍDEO - Serie Vive la Vía
De Navarra a Guipúzcoa por los parajes más vírgenes del Valle de Leitzarán, la Vía Verde del Plazaola nos invita a disfrutar de su dulce recorrido sobre el antiguo ferrocarril del mismo nombre. En este capítulo de la serie "Vive la Vía" también se muestran los atractivos paisajísticos y gastronómicos de la Ribera navarra, a través de la Vía Verde del Tarazonica, en el entorno de la monumental villa de Tudela.
Parte 1 de 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=weUP1mNtJh8
Parte 2 de 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuwaK591_dE&feature=player_embedded