Sustainable SPAIN

Forget those images of fly-n-flop beaches, tourism in Spain is going distinctly - and brilliantly - green

- Eddi Fiegel

Discover why Valencia could be the EU’s Green Capital in 2024

Valencia may be known for its paella and world-class architecture and design but the city is also at the forefront of some of Spain’s most innovative sustainable initiatives. Already shortlisted to become the EU’s Green Capital 2024, the city has a 150km network of cycle paths and 40 ciclocalles cycle-priority streets), meaning you can get around town easily and sustainably. There’s also a citywide electric-car-share scheme, while in the hip El Cabanyal neighbourhood, on the La Malvarrosa beach, pilot projects range from smart lighting along the seafront only used if a pedestrian is detected) to the use of lamp posts to recharge electric cars. Meanwhile, the city’s extensive amount of parkland including the Turia Gardens one of the largest urban parks in Spain) and the Viveros Gardens help absorb carbon emissions. www. visitvalencia.com

Cycle or walk the Olive Oil Greenway in Andalucia

The idea of cycling or walking along a disused railway may not be new, but on this historic 55km route between Jaén and the Guadajoz River you'll pass through some of Andalucia’s most exceptional and leastvisited landscapes. Originally built in the late 19th century for the Tren de Aceite Oil Train’), which carried olive oil from the provinces of Jaén and neighbouring Cordoba to the port at Malaga, the line was closed in 1985 and lay derelict for years before being relaunched as a Vias Verdes, or greenway’. You can now walk, cycle or mountain-bike your way past olive-grove-filled plains, ghost towns and abandoned quarries. Beyond the river, the Aceite path connects with the Via Verde de la Subbética, which runs towards Puente Genil in Cordoba, creating a continuous 112km route. www. andalucia.org/en/routes-via-verde-del-aceite