Length: between three and four hours.
Distance: around 12.5 kilometres.
Difficulty: none.

3. Rural Paths Tour

Recommendations:

1. You can do it either on foot or by bicycle.
2. Since it is a long journey and the return is made the same way, you can finish the tour whenever you like to.
3. You should wear some comfortable shoes in case you make the tour on foot.
4. You should take some water and snacks with you.

Probably this railway route project between Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda is one of the first made in Spain since its construction permit dates back to 1830. Although it was used to transport people, its main function was to transport a valuable good: the Jerez wine especially to England.

The tour starts in Rota, at the end of the La Libertad Avenue, just at the roundabout which is at the entrance to Rota (A-2017 road). Rota is a little coastal town whose inhabitants have traditionally worked in agriculture or “Mayetería” (as they name it) and fishing. Nowadays they are also engaged in tourism due to its beautiful beaches.

In the first part of the tour we will pass by family vegetable gardens and agricultural fields, mainly cotton fields. The natural paths are separated from the fields with brooms, black locusts (Robinia pseudoacacia), fennels (Foeniculum vulgare) and some eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus sp) where you can always observe some of the most common birds of the area such as sparrows, crested larks (Galerida cristata) and seagulls. You can also see some rabbits on your way. The path crosses two roads (A-491 and A-2077) and a steam by means of three bridges.

Near the end of the path, there is a huge abandoned cellar where you can see a large amount of Eurasians collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) which have gradually colonized the peninsula and probably nest there. Then you will cross a paved path called “Hijuelo de la Tía Pepa” and you will continue the tour until you see “Costa Ballena”, an enormous touristic complex surrounded by golf links which belongs to the municipality of Rota. There is a bike lane between Costa Ballena and Sanlúcar which you can also use if you are interested in visiting that city. It is foreseen to extend this natural path until Chipiona but at the moment it ends in a crossroad which takes you to the 4th kilometre of the A-491 road.

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