Greenway of El Cortijo

Greenway of El Cortijo, the whims of the river Ebro

The great meander that the river Ebro draws as it passes through El Cortijo, has given rise to a unique space formed by the typical fluvial plains, home to a large representation of various species of flora and fauna. The old railway line between Castejón and Bilbao, forced by the morphology of the terrain and the interposition of the district of El Cortijo, traced a wide curve following the limits marked by the flow of the river. Today this railway line crosses the area thanks to a modern tunnel, leaving the part of the route that ran through the meander in disuse. Turned into a pleasant walk, this section allows us to enjoy the variety and rich landscape of this area of La Rioja near Logroño and bordering Euskadi, which the Ebro makes a natural border.

The greenway of El Cortijo with a total distance of 6 km, round trip, runs along the old railway enveloping El Cortijo, as in the past made so many trains that passed through this place. The green track is perfectly conditioned and, given its characteristics, free of great unevenness and with a good gravel surface and pressed zahorra, can be traveled without difficulty. The route that goes from where the old El Cortijo stop was, to the entrance of the road that arrives from Logroño, to meet again with the new railway line, past the hydroelectric dam that regulates the river bed, has a car park at both points. Being able to initiate the itinerary in both places it is more advisable to go directly to the one that is passed the locality, next to the dam since it has more space to be able to leave our vehicle and has a much more comfortable access to the green way. From this place we only have to enjoy this pleasant walk following the course of the Ebro contemplating a splendid landscape marked by the vineyards and the typical riverside orchards, observed on the horizon by Sierra Cantabria and the whitish vertical walls of the mountains that form it.

Spring surprises us with its striking colours, the white of the almond trees, the greens of the vineyards and the crops or the reds and roses of the poppies and the correhuelas that gather on both sides of the route. Autumn gives us the spectacular landscape offered by the vines with the great variety of yellows, reds and copper, together with the different species typical of the Mediterranean climate such as carrasca and oak groves. The winter, thanks to the proximity of Sierra Cantabria, sometimes gives us the chance to contemplate the Sleeping Lion or the Joar, among others, covered with snow. The meander is the ideal habitat for partridges, hares or black kites, as well as other species that use this place as a transit point in their migrations. Before reaching the point where the El Cortijo stop used to be, just where the greenway enters the trench bordering the neighbourhood, there is the other access point to the route. In this place we will have the possibility of taking a detour to get to know the remains of the old Mantible Bridge.

This small variant lengthens the total route in a scarce 4,5 km, round trip, introducing us more in the meander until the place where the remains of this old and famous point of passage of the Ebro are located. This part outside the greenway is not conditioned and runs along the tracks that serve as access to the different farms that extend along the meander, being able even if we know the terrain to return by them to the hydroelectric plant following the path known as the Path of the Meander.

How to get to El Cortijo Greenway

To get to El Cortijo once we are in Logroño we must go towards the popularly known as Cuarto Puente de Logroño, on the road that leads to the Alava town of Laguardia. On the south bank of the river, at the beginning of this bridge begins the road that will take us to the town of El Cortijo, this road is known as the El Cristo road, passing by a hermitage of the same name. Continuing along this road we reach El Cortijo, once there and just before entering the town we will see, in the middle of a curve, on our right a sign indicating the detour to follow to reach the small car park where we can leave our vehicle, to start the journey in the vicinity of the old halt. This car park is before a bridge over the greenway, to which we can descend by an asphalt track that begins on the left just cross to the other side, finding a fence that prevents vehicles from entering the greenway and on one side a narrow pass where to enter the route. If, on the other hand, we prefer to start on the other side, we will have to leave this first sign behind to enter the town following the streets that allow us to move in the direction of our march until we reach a small landscaped square, next to the church, where we will see another sign indicating the street that will take us out of El Cortijo. Passing by the municipal swimming pools and following the asphalted track between vineyards, we will leave a couple of crosses on our left to descend a steep slope parallel to the new train route. At the end of the descent we will see a small tunnel and on the right a short track that ascends to the large car park where we can leave the vehicle and start the journey.