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 The Foundation of the Via Verde de la Sierra was established in early 2000 as the managing body of the former Jerez to Almargen railway. The villages of the foundation are Coripe, El Coronil, Montellano, Olvera, Pruna and Puerto Serrano. The objective of this organisation is conservation, maintainance and management of the facilities of the Via Verde de la Sierra, to promote the recreational activities, walking, cycling and horse riding along the Via Verde (Greenway) and to sustain economic growth and employment in the rural areas along the route.
The original railway line ran from Jerez to Almargen. Plans to bring this line into operation began in the early 19th century, under the County Council of Cadiz the first steps where taken to construct a railway system aimed a boosting the economy in the area. In 1887 a draft project was presented for the construction of a line from Jerez to Setenil with a branch going to Grazalema. At the start of the 20th century the society for the Jerez to Setenil railway completed the design of this project, however, work did not start until 1926 during the dictatorship of General Primo de Rivera. At the fall of this dictatorship the works stopped, leaving the railway line unfinished. During the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) the lines where lifted and used to build military weapons. Today the Via Verde continues to give jobs to rural areas, a team called 'The Green Patrol' (made up of young people from the villages of the Foundation) is dedicated to the maintainance of the Via Verde. The Green Patrol also helps to promote awareness of the Via Verde and its surroundings.
 The Via Verde runs from Puerto Serrano to Olvera covering 36km and has 30 tunnels, most of them have automatic lighting, however, there are a few where you will need to switch the lights on, the switches are generally about 10 metres into the tunnel entrance and about shoulder level. On the longer tunnels there are several switches located at regular intervals throughout the tunnel, the longest being the "castle tunnel" some 990m. Of the 4 viaducts along the Via Verde the one at Coripe is the most impressive at 237m long. There are 5 old railway stations along the Via Verde, the ones at Olvera, Coripe and Puerto Serrano have been restored and are now used as restaurants and accommodation. The station at Zaframagon is an information centre dedicated to the Griffon Vulture and the final station at Navalgrulla has yet to be restored.
 The Peñon Zaframagon, which is a nature reserve, is a 584m high large limestone escarpment of rock and is home to Andalucia’s largest colony of Griffon Vultures. The Peñon Zaframagon is located to the north of the Sierra de Lijar between the provinces of Cadiz and Seville. One of the striking features of the rock is the Gargante del Estrechon, a gorge cut out by the Guadalporcun river. The old railway station here has been converted into an information centre dedicated to the Griffons, inside the centre you can watch webcam images of these huge birds. This information centre is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on all public holidays. There is an entrance fee of 1 Euro.
Other raptors that frequent the rock are the Egyptian Vulture, Bonelli's Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and the Eagle Owl. Close to the Zaframagon Station you can see the Alberquilla Fountain which, locally, is well known for its health promoting water.
At Coripe Station there is a picnic area where you can see "Chaparro de la Vega" a centenary Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) which stands 13 metres high and 30 metres wide, it is registered as a national monument in Andalucia. This Holm Oak dates back over 700 years and was already over 200 years old when the continent of America was discovered.
One of the characteristics of the Via Verde are its old flour mills which are located along the path of the Guadalete river. When these Flour Mills were operational the water was diverted from the river along an irrigation channel, known as a ‘cao’ into the mill, where it was used to drive the millstone that milled the grain. The water then flowed out of the mill and back into the river. The remains of these mills can still be seen along the route of the Via Verde.
The Guadalete river, whose headwaters are located 1020m up on the Sierra del Endrinal within the Grazalema Natural Park, is 172km long and after flowing through Puerto Serrano follows the route of the Via Verde for several kilometres. The Guadalete river is an important area for flora and fauna, the most emblematic plant species are the White Poplar (Populus alba) and the Ash Tree (Fraxinus angustifolia). As for the wildlife you can see the Common Kingfisher, (Alcedo atthis), the Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) and of course the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus).
Some of the species you may see on your journey along the Via Verde are listed below.
Birdlife.
European Bee-Eater, Grey Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-Toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Eagle and Tawny Owls.
Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish.
Grass Snake, Ocelated Lizard, Edible Frog, Montpellier Snake, Spanish Psammodromus, Mediterranean Pond Terrapin, Barble, Carp and Bogue
Wildlife.
Gennet, Badger, Egyptian Mongoose, Lesser Weasel, Wild Boar, Red Fox, Garden Door Mouse, Hare and Hedgehogs
Flora.
Ash, Willow, White Poplar, Holm Oak, Gall Oak, Black Poplar, Carob Tree, Wild Olive, Lentisc, Retama, Tamarisk, Crimson spot Rock Rose, Broom, Oleander with herbs Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender
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