A fascinating take on cycling with a recycling angle, Spain has given new life to old, disused railway lines by repurposing them as cycling and hiking paths. The Greenways — or Via Verdes — can be found along 1,677 miles of old lines converted to 125 individual Greenways. Adventure travelers and walking enthusiasts can choose from urban trails and country byways to longer routes that meander through Spain’s lovely rural landscapes. Here are details on a few:

Located in the region of Murcia, the Greenway of the Northwest occupies the rail path that once connected Murcia to Caravaca de la Vera. Dotted with old train stations converted into hostels, the route is 47.7 miles long and includes stretches that edge the River Mula and pass through a desert area often referred to as the Badlands. The path continues upward into pine forests and almond groves.

With a landscape that includes grain fields, mountains, rivers, gorges and deep, green forests, the Vasco-Navarro Railway Greenway is particularly popular with walkers and hikers. It passes over and through former train tunnels and viaducts, rambling through several small charming villages over the course of 63 miles.

The 22.3-mile-long Sierra Greenway stretches along the base of the mountains of the Iberian peninsula from Puerto Serrano to Olvera in the Cadiz province and along the banks of the River Guadalete. This route is unique in that no trains ever actually were operated on it. While the stations, tunnels and viaducts were completed, war interrupted the laying of track and the project was eventually abandoned. Scenery includes the Peñón de Zaframagón (Rock of Zaframagón), populated by one of the largest griffon vulture colonies in all of Europe.