Stage 3. Orellana la Vieja/Guadalupe
118 kilometers. 1,520 meters of elevation gain.
The departure from Orellana la Vieja is fantastic; the terrain is favorable, and the trail runs through hills resembling Tibetan steppes as the tracks descend toward the banks of the Guadiana River. The river landscape of irrigated crops continues along the Secondary Canal to the curious circular street network of Entrerríos, a small farming and livestock town located at the confluence of the Guadiana and Zújar rivers. It was built entirely in the 1950s according to the designs of architect Alejandro de la Sota. It was part of the National Colonization Plan of the government of the time to revitalize rural populations in disadvantaged regions. The Trail crosses the unique oval plaza in the center of the town and descends to the eerie ford of the Zújar River. The crossing has a concrete surface and is designed to facilitate traffic at high water levels, but it is always important to assess the current's intensity before entering the riverbed. The best way to avoid crossing the ford by bicycle is to continue along the right bank of the river, following a dirt road to the road bridge leading to Villanueva de la Serena.
At the Zújar River bridge, the main route joins the flood-season variant, and two route options open up. A variant of the Guadiana Nature Trail continues along the road, passes through the town of Villanueva de la Serena, and at the train station connects with the Vegas del Guadiana Greenway. This is the appropriate route to visit the town if you need any services, supplies, or even to finish the stage. The trail continues along the banks of the Zújar River to its junction with the Guadiana River and continues along an entertaining riverside path near the riverbank to the old railway bridge built over the Guadiana River. In 1865, the first trains arrived in the Vegas Altas del Guadiana region, the result of a comprehensive plan to link Madrid and Ciudad Real with Badajoz by rail. The idea was to boost the agricultural and livestock economy of the rural population, but the line's true success lay in the exploitation of the Logrosán phosphate mines, which produced fifty percent of all agricultural fertilizers in Spain while it was in operation, between 1917 and 1946. The profitability of the mining train sparked interest in continuing the railway through the isolated and rugged terrain of Las Villuercas and the Toledo region of La Jara to Talavera de la Reina, opening tunnels, building viaducts, and laying rails that had never been able to carry a train. A World Bank study at the time underestimated the efficiency and usefulness of the railway, and the line was closed before its inauguration.