Francisco Salado, president of the Malaga Provincial Council, has announced the launch of the Green Corridor, an ambitious project that will become the “largest river park in Spain and one of the largest in Europe”. This corridor will connect the Guadalhorce footbridge with the famous Caminito del Rey, covering a 54 km route. Salado emphasized that this project is a long-term initiative, estimating a period of more than five years for its complete implementation.
The total investment planned for the project amounts to around 200 million euros. Three million euros have been allocated for the start-up, with an additional 20 million euros reserved for the next two years. Additional funding of 40 million euros has been requested from the European Next Generation funds. Salado highlighted the importance of the collaboration and financial support of the central government, the Junta de Andalucía and the municipalities involved.
The Green Corridor will cover 4,5 million square metres and offer 190 km of trails. This space will be considerably larger than the Turia Park, another prominent Spanish river park. The project is structured in three main phases: restoration of the riverbanks and leisure areas, improvement of territorial connectivity and the creation of new interpretive centres for the Valley.
One of the central pillars of the project is the environmental and landscape recovery of the area. This involves cleaning and preserving the Guadalhorce riverbeds, planting native species and adapting trails. Salado stressed the growing demand for sustainable projects and ecological policies by society.
Accessibility to the corridor is essential, and to this end, collaborations will be established with Renfe and Adif. The construction of new commuter train stops is planned, guaranteeing environmentally friendly access to the trails.
Finally, the interpretive and educational aspect of the Green Corridor will be addressed with the creation of three reception and interpretation centres. These centres will offer information on the natural and cultural environment of the Valley, highlighting places of interest such as the mouth of the river and the Phoenician settlement of Cerro del Villar. In addition, each municipality will have a space adapted for the dissemination and promotion of local heritage.
