On 25 March 2026, the 3rd Greenways Conference for the Province of Seville took place at the former El Ronquillo railway station (Vía Verde de El Ronquillo, Andalucía, Spain).

The event, organised by the Department of Inter-municipal Public Services of the Seville Provincial Council (La Diputación de Sevilla) in partnership with the Asociación de Vías Verdes de Andalucía, addressed key topics such as funding, infrastructure, and services for greenways in the context of the climate emergency.

The importance of inter-institutional cooperation was strongly emphasised, along with the need to foster effective public-private and private-private partnerships. Successful experiences in the management and development of business activities along the province’s greenways were shared, demonstrating how these ecotourism routes can revitalise territories and generate new local employment opportunities.

The meeting was aimed at institutional and technical representatives from local councils and supra-municipal bodies, as well as business owners, entrepreneurs, and civil society organisations interested in the revitalisation of greenways and other non-motorised routes in the province of Seville.

The event consisted of several debates and discussion sessions.

The first session, focusing on funding, infrastructure, and facilities for greenways, was moderated by Carmen Aycart of the Andalusian Greenways Association. It featured Gonzalo Domínguez, Councillor for Inter-municipal Public Services, alongside mayors Juan Antonio Zambrano (Marchena), Juan Carlos Navarro (San Nicolás del Puerto), and Antonio Enamorado (La Roda de Andalucía), who shared their experiences of projects being developed in their municipalities. During the discussion, Gonzalo Domínguez announced that the Seville Provincial Council plans to invest €1.6 million this year and next in improvements to the Vía Verde de El Ronquillo.

This was followed by a panel discussion on public-private partnerships, also moderated by Carmen Aycart, featuring Ana María Portillo, manager of the accommodation and restaurant at Puerto Serrano Station (Sierra Greenway), and Bartolomé “Bartolo” Ponce, manager of the accommodation and restaurant at El Ronquillo Station. Ponce, who has managed the restaurant “La Estación” for 12 years, provided a valuable business perspective and highlighted the role of greenways as drivers of local economic and tourism development.

One of the key moments was the round-table discussion on institutional cooperation for the creation of the Cala and Aznalcóllar Greenways, moderated by Francisco Meirinhos, president of the A Contramano association. Participants included Gonzalo Domínguez (also mayor of El Castillo de las Guardas), Isidoro Ramos (mayor of Olivares), Asunción Ríos (mayor of Santa Olalla del Cala), Antonio José López (Conservation Director of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park), and Arturo Alpresa (Councillor for the Environment, Rural Development and Energy at Huelva Provincial Council).

The programme concluded with a session dedicated to future greenway strategies in the context of climate change, again moderated by Carmen Aycart. Contributions were made by Dominika Zareba, manager of the European Greenways Association; Fernando Ortega Alegre, expert in green infrastructure from the Seville for the Climate Network; and María Jiménez Rodríguez, manager of the Sierra Greenway Foundation, who emphasised the need for strong institutional support and called on the authorities to provide assistance in repairing the damage caused along this route by the storm.

Throughout the day, El Ronquillo became a hub for exchanging experiences, fostering debate, and developing shared strategies. The conference reaffirmed its role as a strategic meeting point within the province’s greenway network and demonstrated that the future of tourism and rural development largely depends on investing in this type of infrastructure—connecting territories, generating economic activity, and responding to the growing demand for healthy and sustainable leisure.

The El Ronquillo Greenway (Vía Verde de El Ronquillo) follows the route of a former railway line that once connected the Cala Mines with San Juan de Aznalfarache and operated for more than 50 years. This 9-kilometre greenway runs alongside the Rivera de Huelva River and the Minilla reservoir along its entire length, offering a particularly scenic and attractive landscape.

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Location: El Ronquillo, Andalusia, Spain