The best traffic-free bike rides around Santiago De Calatrava

Great and unusual old train station.

The Laguna Honda is a remarkable nature reserve along the Vía Verde del Aceite in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. It is located in the municipality of Alcaudete, about 7 km northwest of the town center, nestled between the Sierra de Orbes and the Guadalquivir plain. With an area of around 65 hectares and an additional protected zone of 220 hectares, it is one of the most important wetlands in the region. Laguna Honda is an endorheic, shallow salt lagoon whose high salt content is due to the clayey and calcareous soils. It is mainly fed by rainwater and a small tributary from the Sierra de Orbes. Despite its shallow depth, it is a valuable habitat for numerous bird species, including flamingos, ducks, and other water birds that rest or breed here.

The Estación de Vado-Jaén is a historic stop along the Vía Verde del Aceite, located at kilometer 37 of the route between Martos and Alcaudete. Originally part of the Linares–Puente Genil railway line, it was converted into a rest and information station for cyclists and hikers after the line was closed in the 1980s. Today, it serves as an access point to the Vía Verde and offers parking and a rest area for visitors.

The station was opened in 1893 by the Compañía de los Ferrocarriles Andaluces on the Linares–Puente Genil line. It had a simple station building, a goods shed, several sidings, water depots, and a cast-iron “aguada” for steam locomotives. After the line was closed in 1984, the facilities fell into disrepair until they were restored and integrated into the network as part of the conversion to the Vía Verde. Next to the station is the Jardín de Variedades del Olivo, a botanical garden with 31 varieties of olives from 5 Mediterranean countries (including Carrasqueño de Alcaudete, Arbequina, Kalamon). There are picnic facilities here, but no restaurant.

Along the route of the Vía Verde del Aceite (Olive Oil Greenway), we often come across carved stone bridges that cross the paths along the aforementioned route. They are true works of art that have stood the test of time, as they were completed at the end of the 19th century and will endure for centuries to come for the enjoyment of future generations.

During that time, this method of metalworking was very common, creating rivets that avoided welding, like the imposing Eiffel Tower in neighboring Spain. Therefore, all the viaducts along the Oil Train route maintain this construction technique. Since there were no workshops specialized in this method of metalworking in Spain, the Daydé and Pillé workshops in France were commissioned to build each of these viaducts. In this case, it is not one of the shortest, but it is no less striking than the rest.

It's a vestige awaiting renovation, and despite having undergone some renovations, it remains awaiting definitive support. This former railway station in the city of Martos is a testament to the splendor that the Vía del Aceite (Olive Oil Route) enjoyed during the 20th century, and therefore to the city and all the towns through which the current Vía Verde del Aceite (Olive Oil Green Route) passed. Let's hope that the authorities allocate funds to permanently restore this symbol, which is part of the city, and that it becomes a showcase for cycle tourism travelers who travel along the aforementioned green route.

The Desjarradero Viaduct with an 83-metre-long metal structure.