CENTRE BTT ALANÍS
The “Geo Rutas Villa de Alanís” MTB Centre was created in 2016 with a project subsidised by the Public Employment Service, the Seville Provincial Council and the Alanís Town Council as part of the programme for the Promotion of Agricultural Employment.
This is a free access space where both beginners and experts can practice MTB with peace of mind and at the same time get to know the scenic, natural and cultural riches of Alanís. It also encourages the use of bicycles in an environmentally friendly setting and is a way of protecting and maintaining the habitat of the area, preventing its environmental degradation.
It is a centre of perfectly signposted routes with 426 km, designed for all levels, mapped and signposted according to the degree of difficulty.
Our aim is to increase the range of quality sports and active tourism in our municipality.
The services we offer are:
- Interpretative – orientative signage that includes information about the different routes, traffic uses, etc.
- Pocket leaflets containing the routes and information.
A small repair workshop. - A bicycle washing point at the reception point.
- Toilet and shower at the reception point.
Cyclists visiting the BTT centre have at their disposal, in addition to all the above services, this website. The website is designed for cyclists, where they can download, view, etc, all the information, tracks, maps, etc.
Likewise, the website is designed to be fully accessible from any device (computer, mobile, tablet). The website adapts to the device where it is being viewed.
How to follow the routes
You’ve probably wondered how to follow a track or a hiking route with your mobile phone or GPS; or why you need a GPS to go to the mountains. You will also learn how to record them yourself and upload them to our website.
A track, as you know, is a set of waypoints ordered in time. It is a succession of points created by the GPS as we walk. Our GPS will allow us to follow this track as if each waypoint was a destination, it will save us a lot of time, and you will also feel much calmer with it, you can go anywhere with a good planning and without risks.
To get to a place, we must know our position, and know which direction we are following.
Depending on your level of knowledge of the route, you can use the GPS only for certain junctions where you get disoriented, or to follow the entire route, with the warning function if we deviate from the established route.
We are going to show you how to do this with Orux Maps, an offline GPS application, but there are many others. Being offline allows you to use maps and geolocation, only with the GPS and without using the Internet. You can download it only on Android.
It has a large number of functions, but let’s explain its basic operation.
Composition:
It has a top bar with 4 icons, plus another drop-down. Below the icons is the “Status” (it will indicate if we are recording the track, if the GPS is working, if there are active alarms). The map is in the centre (occupying most of the screen), on the right and left side there are 2 small drop-down menus, and at the bottom we have the GPS information.
What does each icon mean?
Arrow: options for track generation and use.
Marker: actions with waypoints and geocaches.
Road: track and route management (allows us to upload and download routes, create them, ...).
Map: options on maps
3 points: Global settings, profiles, manage your account.icons-laterals-orux-maps
Right drop-down menu
GPS Activation/Deactivation
Track Activation/Deactivation
Hand (fixes the screen, does not follow GPS)
Utilities menu
3D Map
How do we create an offline map?
It is important to have offline maps so that when you are in the mountains and you are offline, you can find your way around. We are going to show you how to have an offline map of Las Merindades, and we recommend that you have offline maps of the areas where you go hiking.
Click on the icon “map” (the fourth one), then “open map” (here we will see Online maps and offline maps that we have been adding). Select Online / layers/World/(ES) and IGN Raster Map (ES). We think it is a very complete map. We look for the specific area we want to have offline.
Once we see the area we want to have, we click again on the “map” icon, and we click on “map creator”.
On the map, we put 2 points, one in each inverse corner of the map (top left and bottom right or upside down). We will get a rectangle, we verify it by clicking on the blue OK button.
Now we have to save the layers, the more ticks the better (the more depth our map will have). We also have to name the map, click on download, and we have the offline map created.
To use this map, click on “map”, “open map”, offline, and open the map with the name we have given, and we will have it active offline.
Generate a track
Click on the arrow icon and start recording. With this we will record our route, or we can continue an already started one. It is very, very easy. We can add more things as we go through the route, such as waypoints, by clicking on the second icon (the one with the marker) and click on create, and we can even mark it with an image.
Load and follow a track
If we have downloaded it: For example, in each route, you can download them easily in this same web (we can see it in the adjacent image). We click on the third icon (the road icon) and load KML/GPX (in case you don’t know, these are the most important formats in which tracks are saved). We load it from wherever it was previously saved. We recommend always saving them in the same folder, so as not to go crazy. When we open it, we have navigation options, such as reversing the route, or to warn us, with alarms such as the route alarm or waypoint alarm; or just to see it on the map (then we will choose no navigation).
If we have recorded it previously: We give to the third icon (the one of the road) and to “manage tracks/routes”, where we have saved our routes, we select the one we want and we choose what we want to do with it (the normal thing is that we load it as route in the map).
When we have old data on the screen, what we have to do is to “clear screen”.
Tools
- Orux Maps has a lot of tools, we are going to show you 2 of the most used ones. In the menu on the right, when you click on the icon that looks like a circle or a compass, there is a lot of statistical data about the route, gyroscope and compass. Below it is another icon like a cube, in which we can see the map in 3D.
You already know how to follow routes, it is very important when you go to the mountains that you download the route to minimise the chances of getting lost.
Rules of use
The Alanís MTB Centre consists of self-guided routes, i.e. there are no signposts, so we will have to get the map and the routes or GPS tracks to avoid getting lost.
Everyone can go at their own pace, stopping and enjoying the routes that run through some of the most unique and hidden places in the Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park.
Each cyclist is responsible for their actions and decisions, as well as for the maintenance and upkeep of their bicycle during the routes. Each cyclist is free to participate and does so on their own initiative, knowing that the routes are catalogued with different levels, from easy to very difficult and that to complete them requires physical fitness and mastery of the bicycle appropriate to the level of demand of the route and does so under their total responsibility and independence.
When cycling on roads, we will always adhere to the highway code, which should be our point of reference. One of the biggest demands of cyclists in general is the lack of safety on the roads, if we want to have a high level of safety and respect for cyclists, we must be the first to respect these rules of coexistence between all users.
When you do the routes you must adjust them to your physical and technical possibilities, if you undertake a route far beyond them it can become an ordeal where you can hardly enjoy yourself. Measure your strength and adjust your speed according to the state of the terrain. You should not try to ride at the same speed on a wide, even track as on a narrow, winding and irregular path. Another of the secrets of mountain biking is the pace at which you ride. Try to leave time to enjoy observing the flora, fauna, landscapes and customs of the place you are riding through, they will be the essence of it.
You should carry a minimum of equipment that will help you to avoid the many inconveniences that are sure to arise during your cycling trips. This should include a spare inner tube for a possible puncture (pay attention to the type of wheel valve), repair material for the wheel (more than one puncture may occur), an efficient inflation pump and a multi-tool kit that covers the basic needs (it should include a chain tool). We should also take clothing suitable for the weather conditions of the day.
Our “fuel” when cycling will be food and drink, therefore, we must not be without it at any time. You must be well stocked.
When you ride, be respectful of the environment, the flora and fauna of the place, as well as the properties you pass through and the locals.
When cycling in the countryside, stick to the tracks, roads and paths allowed, cycling off them will lead to significant erosion of the terrain.
Never abandon your waste, even organic waste such as fruit peelings, the visual pollution is tremendous, and you are sure to find a suitable place to dispose of it as you go along.
Regardless of being compulsory on the road, helmets should always be worn correctly. Nowadays they are so comfortable and light that you will hardly notice it and it will become your “life insurance”.
All users of the Alanís MTB Centre are obliged to comply with the rules of use of the Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park.
Downtown Routes
The Alanís mountain bike centre is characterised by its location in the heart of the Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park and the natural environment that surrounds it, giving the different routes an amazing variety of terrain that is difficult to find in other places. On the same route we can reach mountain peaks of over 800 metres in altitude and shortly afterwards find ourselves on the shores of the Playa Verde de San Nicolás del Puerto. On this route we cross a lush forest, perhaps unimaginable for many in these mountains.
The large forests of cork oaks and species of the Andalusian pastures and landscapes of the centre. All the routes are linked in one way or another to the two protected natural areas they pass through.
The valuable natural resources of the Sierra Norte Natural Park, declared a Geopark, have attracted numerous civilisations since ancient times. The landscape has been transformed by the different settlers who took advantage of the richness that the area offered them. An example of this change is the Cerro del Hierro, declared a Natural Monument, where the extraction of minerals and the action of the rain have exposed a karst landscape that today is used by sportsmen and women for climbing.
The mountain ranges have gentle hills, where pastures of holm oaks and cork oaks predominate, interspersed with Mediterranean woodland and some olive groves and vineyards. In some shady and humid areas of the municipalities of Constantina and Cazalla, along with the only melojo oak trees in the province, there are also chestnut groves for the use of their branches. Next to the El Robledo visitor centre is the botanical garden of the same name, which contains a collection of the most characteristic plant species of the Sierra Morena.
The hydrographic network of the natural park also plays a fundamental role in its history and landscape. There are three main rivers that refresh the region: the Rivera del Huéznar, in the central area of the park, the river Viar to the west and, finally, the Retortillo, to the east. The first two are home to magnificent gallery forests, where you can fish for trout, an unusual activity in Seville.
For those who prefer hiking and cycle touring, we recommend the Vía Verde de la Sierra Norte, an old mining railway line that runs between the old settlement of Cerro del Hierro and the Los Prados-Cazalla train station, passing through the Cascadas del Huéznar Natural Monument. Bathing is prohibited in the waterfalls. The so-called San Nicolás beach, upstream from the natural monument, is the only place where bathing is allowed.
Iberian imperial eagles, golden eagles and Bonelli’s eagles soar through the sky of the natural park. Scavenger birds such as the black vulture and griffon vulture are also common. Ungulate mammals, such as deer and wild boar, are common. The Navas-Berrocal public mountain, in Almadén de la Plata, will allow you to observe them easily.
The ten municipalities that form part of the park contribute to its cultural heritage, contributing interesting historical-artistic monuments such as Arab castles, churches and hermitages of Christian tradition. Vestiges of a more distant past can be found in Almadén de la Plata, where prehistoric remains have been found.
Generic characteristics of the centre’s routes
The network of routes is made up of 10 itineraries that are evenly distributed throughout the area occupied by the centre. They reach a distance of 418.89 kilometres in length and accumulate a positive difference in altitude of 9344 metres. The highest altitude is 1847 metres and the lowest is 93 metres, which means that the absolute difference in altitude is 9251 metres, and the greatest difference in altitude that we will find within one of the routes is this one, when we reach both points, specifically no. 10, section 1.
As for the terrain on which the routes run, only 10% of them are on tarmac, the remaining 20% on tracks and 60% on paths. Although there is a high percentage of trails, most of them are quite accessible. In any case, the levels of the routes are affordable for the vast majority of users, as many of them run along easy trails.
The distribution of the routes is balanced from the two starting points, starting from each of them. With a total of one easy route, divided into two sections, three routes of medium complexity, and the rest of difficult complexity, the Alanís MTB centre is the reference point in the Sierra Morena of Seville.
Many of the routes can be combined with each other, giving the possibility of configuring other routes of different lengths, difficulties and gradients to suit the user. The documentation for each of the routes shows the recommended connections.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Easy
Accessible to anyone with a minimum of cycling skills and basic physical preparation. Tracks, paths and the odd stretch of trail without any particular difficulty. The routes have very little gradient, although there may be ruts, ruts, significant potholes and even gaps. There are no steep slopes. Itineraries are fairly easy to follow.
Media
Cyclists who are used to cycling. Small mountain passes with moderate gradients (10%), longer stretches of trail that may force cyclists with a lower technical level to dismount. Some very rocky stretches of road.
Difficult
Para buenos/as ciclistas de montaña. Puertos largos (>10 km) y/o duros (>10%). Senderos técnicos y difíciles. Importantes descensos donde extremar las precauciones. Posible porteo.
Very Difficult
Solo expertos ciclistas de montaña. Desniveles duros y continuados. Alta dosis técnica. Largos tramos de senderos y caminos muy pedregosos. Algún tramo expuesto. Algún tramo donde agudizar la orientación. Tramos de porteo.
Route 1: Loma de San Miguel
Technical specifications
- Distance: 30.81 km.
Maximum altitude: 714 m. - Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 692 m.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 692 m.
- Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
ROUTE INFORMATION
We set off from Alameda del Parral, along a local tarmac road to the San Pedro recreation area. From here we follow paths to the so-called “La Nava” estate and head north until we cross the A447 road. We take paths that cross the pastures of “Barrancos y la Encarnación” to leave via the “Los Morenos” estate towards the SE167 road, heading west along a tarmac section where we must drive with caution.
Route 2: Cañada Real de las Merinas
Technical specifications
- Distance: 46.83 km.
Maximum altitude: 806 m. - Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 1192 m.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 1192 m.
Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
ROUTE INFORMATION
We leave Alanís towards the “La Higuera” estate through a beautiful cork oak grove and continue through the “El Senadal” meadow near the SE167 road where we head north towards the “La Urbana” estate, from where we cross the road and head towards Guadalcanal between holm oaks and olive trees.
We cross Guadalcanal and head towards the “Hamapega” estate, an area first of olive groves and then of kermes oaks and scrubland, parallel to the Seville-Merida railway line.
We leave the railway track and return along paths between holm oaks until we reach the path, a forest track that we continue parallel to the railway again. We cross a level crossing and return towards Alanís along paths between pastures, passing two old water mills.
Route 3: The aguardianteros
Technical specifications
- Distance: 23.46 km.
Maximum altitude: 706 m. - Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 566 m.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 566 m.
- Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
IMÁGENES DE LA RUTA
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We leave from the Alameda del Parral, crossing the town centre along Calle Hierro, passing the “Los Tejares” estate among olive trees and holm oaks and heading towards “Los Zarzares” along the “Las Mesas” stream, an area of special interest due to the winding route and the great variety of fauna and flora.
We then reach the track known as “La Senda” and following the boundary between Alanís and Cazalla de la Sierra we pass the old halt of “La Esperanza” and cross the Seville-Mérida railway line, going up through the “El Título” estate along a path, leaving a deep canyon on our right.
We continue to the junction with the Alanís-Cazalla road and continue towards the water mills on the Benalija riverbank, passing the alameda and the “Panfalto” fountain, we reach the old Alanís-Guadalcanal road where we turn right until we reach the town centre of Alanís once again.
Route 4: Circular to Guaditoca
Technical sheet
Distance: 34.73 km.
Maximum altitude: 772 m.Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 773 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 773 m.
Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We start from the Alameda del Parral and head towards the farm “La Higuera” along a path of spectacular cork oaks, to then continue through an area known as “El Senadal” and towards the farmhouse “La Urbana” from where we cross the SE167 road, towards the farm “El Coto”, passing through holm oak groves and scrubland. From a distance we can see the Chapel of Our Lady of Guaditoca, patron saint of Guadalcanal, in a flat area.
We continue again to the “La Urbana” estate, taking the same path towards the town centre in the opposite direction.
Route 5: Alanís-San Nicolás del Puerto
Technical sheet
- Distance: 28.70 km.
Maximum altitude: 712 m. - Accumulated difference in altitude (+): 380 m.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 380 m.
- Accessibility: By bicycle and on foot.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We leave Alameda del Parral in the direction of the recreational area of “San Pedro” along the local asphalted road.
From the area of “San Pedro” we go along paths between holm oak pastures until we join the forest track, continuing then along paths towards the town centre of San Nicolás del Puerto, from here we leave again along paths towards the so-called “Los Coscojales”, between kermes oaks, holm oaks and gall oaks, until we reach the forest track, the last stretch until we return to the town centre of Alanís.
Route 6: Alanís - Vía Verde San Nicolás
Technical sheet
- Distance: 29,31 km.
Maximum altitude: 703 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 474 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 474 m.
Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
The route starts in Alameda del Parral, and shortly after we continue along dirt tracks through olive groves and pastures. It is worth mentioning the route downstream through the area of “Los Zarzares” and “Las Mesas”, for its technical difficulty and great beauty; shortly after we reach a cattle track called “Senda”, to link up with the greenway to San Nicolás del Puerto.
We continue towards the area known as “Los Coscojales” between kermes oaks, holm oaks and gall oaks, to finish with a final stretch of forest track towards the town centre of Alanís.
Routes 7: Alanís - Cerro del Hierro - San Nicolás
Technical Sheet
- Distance: 40.78 km.
Maximum altitude: 737 m.
Accumulated difference in altitude (+): 520 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 520 m.
Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We leave from Alameda del Parral, along a short stretch of road towards a forest track and then enter through pasture land until we join the SE168 road, parallel to the banks of the river Hueznar, until we reach the town centre of San Nicolás del Puerto.
From here we head towards Cerro del Hierro along the old railway line, which has now been converted into a greenway. Once in the village of El Cerro, we pass through part of the old open-cast iron mine, and then return along paths surrounded by holm and cork oaks, passing through a stretch of hundred-year-old oak trees.
We return along paths through pastures and a stretch of forest track until we reach Alanís again.
Route 8: Alanís - Los Coscojales
Technical Sheet
- Distance: 17.25 km.
Maximum altitude: 710 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 187 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 187 m.
Accessibility: By bike and on foot.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
INFORMACIÓN SOBRE LA RUTA
We start from the Alameda del Parral with a short urban and road section until we enter a forest post, circulating between olive groves to then move on to paths between holm oaks and scrubland.
On the way back to the town centre we will follow paths through kermes oaks, holm oaks and gall oaks.
Route 9: Initiation1º
Technical Sheet
- Distance: 6.69 km.
Maximum altitude: 688 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 93 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 93 m.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We leave Alameda del Parral, passing through a small section of the town centre, where we go along a local path, where we start to see the meadow of “La Servilleta”, to reach the remains of old water mills, where we can see what we know as “La Cueva” (the cave).
Continuing parallel to the Benalijar riverbank, we will also reach the “Panfalto” fountain. We continue along the local path until we reach the town centre.
Route 9: Initiation 2º
Technical Sheet
- Distance: 14.68 km.
Maximum altitude: 688 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 180 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 180 m.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We leave Alameda del Parrla by local road towards the recreational area of San Pedro, where we will see small plots of land used for cattle grazing.
We continue along the circular forest track towards Alanís, through olive groves, cork oaks and holm oaks, until we reach the town centre of Alanís.
Route 10: Comarcal Norte, Tramo 1
Technical details
- Distance: 48.6 km.
- Maximum altitude: 796 m.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 1847 m.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 1879 m.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
We leave the town centre by local road towards the San Pedro area. The first few metres we turn off towards the “La Higuera” estate, crossing the A447 road. We continue through the “El Senadal” meadow until we reach the SE167 road and take the Cañada Real de las Merinas towards the south until we reach the A432 road, crossing it and heading towards the area known as “Valdebenito”, the whole section of the route passes through meadows of holm oaks and scrubland.
Arriving at “Valdebenito” we head south along the Aguardianteros path, a particularly beautiful area due to the lushness and diversity of the vegetation, descending parallel to the bed of a stream.
Route 10: Comarcal Norte, Tramo 2
Technical details
- Distancia: 49,2 km.
- Altura máxima: 796 km.
- Desnivel acumulado (+): 1402 m.
- Desnivel acumulado (-): 1526 m.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
Seguimos por la derecha en dirección noroeste por caminos conocidos como “La Senda” entre los términos municipales de Alanís y Cazalla de la Sierra, cruzamos nuevamente la A432 y vamos dirección norte hacia la finca “Hamapega” por donde pasaremos entre encinas y al norte por vegetación de monte bajo, retamas, coscojas, etc.
Continuamos paralelos a la línea férrea Sevilla-Mérica, poco después, llegamos al casco urbano de Guadalcanal.
Desde Guadalcanal y por fincas dedicadas al olivar giramos hacia el noroeste hasta la finca “La Urbana” para seguir por carretera SE167 hacia la finca “El Coto” y dirección a la Ermita de Nuetra Señora de Guaditoca, Patrona de Guadalcanal, tramo este donde igualmente disfrutamos de paisajes entre encinas y monte bajo.
Route 10: Comarcal Norte, Tramo 3
Ficha técnica
- Distance: 55.2 km.
- Maximum altitude: 796 km.
- Cumulative difference in altitude (+): 1164 m.
Cumulative difference in altitude (-): 1051 m.
IMAGES OF THE ROUTE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROUTE
From the hermitage we follow a forest track close to the village of Malcocinado and towards the “Las Morenas” estate, crossing it and heading east until we cross the A447 road, where we head south on technical paths towards the area known as “El Encinar”, where we head east until we reach a forest track which we cross and take the road towards the village of San Nicolás del Puerto, where we can visit the banks of the Hueznar and its old bridge over the Galindón stream.
From San Nicolás we take a route with a great diversity of vegetation through an area known as “Los Coscojales” until we join a forest track which we continue eastwards to the area known as “San Ambrosio”, an area we already know from previous passes. From here we go southwards through various landscapes to the old mining village of “El Cerro del Hierro” where we can visit and enjoy a very characteristic landscape of the opencast mines.
From El Cerro del Hierro and along the greenway, the old railway line where the iron ore was transported from the mines, we reach the town centre of San Nicolás again. We continue along the greenway to a point called “Cuatro Mojones” which divides and joins the municipalities of Alanís, San Nicolás, Cazalla de la Sierra and Constantina. We take a short stretch of road and follow the path to the north along the Aguardianteros path again, through the “Valdebenito” estate until we reach Alanís.
