Traveling in Don Quixote Country!

Published September 26, 2023, Updated February of 2024

All images are courtesy of the Spain Less Traveled team, unless otherwise stated.

A bit of history

Castilla is a vast region that occupies more than one third of Spain’s surface. It’s considered the heart of Spain not just for its central location, but also because the main origin of the Kingdom of Spain was the Kingdom of Castilla, created in the 11th century.

Its central location makes getting from other parts of Spain fairly easy. (Be sure to check out our post all about getting around Spain!)

In the present, Castilla is divided into two comunidades autónomas (autonomous communities): Castilla - La Mancha, and Castilla y León.

Castilla La Mancha Spain is the southern part of Castilla. It comprises five provinces: Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo.

Click here for more in depth guides by region.

Here at Spain Less Traveled this land of Don Quixote is one of our favorite regions of Spain. Read on to learn about our top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain

Where is Castilla - La Mancha?

Our expert top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain

Here are some of the most beautiful places you will find in Castilla-La Mancha Spain.

Cities full of art and history, and small charming “pueblos” where to experience the real Spanish life, its culture and gastronomy.

With a population of just 2 million for a vast territory, Castilla La Mancha also offers endless fields and natural landscapes.

Here are our top 10 things to do in Castilla La Mancha Spain. It includes some of our favorite places, pueblos, experiences, and things to eat and drink!

1. Toledo

Toledo is usually always #1 on any top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain. It is also a top destination in Spain. And for many good reasons.

Toledo was Spain’s first capital and is less than an hour south of Madrid by train.

Toledo is the most popular day trip from Madrid. It’s a city full of rich history; a place to see the Muslim, Jewish, and Catholic influences in Spain (the “three cultures”).

Toledo is a great alternative to Córdoba when it comes to seeing the three cultures, especially if you aren’t going to be able to make it down to Andalucía during your trip.

The city is full of monuments, quaint streets, and history.

Toledo is also known for its sword production and marzipan sweets, and you can buy both (note: if you buy a sword, you will need to ship it home as it is not allowed on the train). Be sure to go across the Tajo River to the “mirador” for impressive views of Toledo!

Amongst the main buildings to visit, you’ll find the Cathedral, one of the top cathedrals in Spain, of Gothic and Renaissance styles, the stunning Santa María la Blanca Synagogue (including other relics of Spain’s rich Jewish history), the Casa de El Greco museum. El Greco was a 17th century painter from Greece, that stablished himself in Toledo, becoming one of the most unique painters in history. You can see his materpiece ‘The burial of Count of Orgaz’, in Santo Tomé church.

2. Cuenca

The city is famous for its colorful architecture, hanging houses, and a world famous abstract art museum. Located in a beautiful natural setting, Cuenca does not see the amount of tourism that Toledo does. It’s a good choice for a day trip from Madrid or an overnight stay.

Cuenca is also famous for its “Semana Santa” (Easter processions), and you can learn about it in the small but excellent museum dedicated to it. A great alternative to a city such as Seville for holy week, the processions here are more low-key.

The city has a historic parador, which is one of the best paradores in Spain! The walk from the old city to the parador offers some breathtaking views.

This is one of our most personal favorites on our list of top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain.

3. Sigüenza

Siguenza is a charming city located on the road from Madrid to Zaragoza.

And slow trains even connect Siguenza with Barcelona (note: it is NOT a day trip from there, but here are some of our favorite day trips from Barcelona)

It’s one of the few cities that has a cathedral that is not a province capital (It’s in Guadalajara province). And what a cathedral it is! A mixture of Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque styles, construction began in the 1100s.

The rest of the town is like time traveling to the middle ages, with quaint streets and charming squares. And on top of that, a massive castle converted into one of the most impressive ‘paradores’ in Spain.

Take some time to wander around the pretty Plaza Mayor and to just enjoy a local atmosphere of the small city. You will soon see why we included Siguenza on our top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain!

4. Guadalajara

Speaking of Guadalajara province, its capital is worth a visit too!

Located at merely 60 km from Madrid, Guadalajara has become a kind of dormitory city, losing a lot of its old identity. And this city may not be on everyone’s list of top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain. But hear us out as to why it is a worthwhile off the beaten path day trip from Madrid.

Guadalajara’s main attraction is the stunning Palacio del Infantado. This Renaissance palace is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Spain, with an impressive decorated façade and a gorgeous courtyard. Trust us! You need to see it for yourself.

But there are other things to visit, like the nice Plaza Mayor, the tiny chapel of Don Luis de Lucena with beautiful frescoes, and the charming Chinese room at Palacio de la Cotilla.

There are frequent commuter trains that make the trip from Madrid in about an hour.

Again, you won’t find Guadalajara on every list of top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain, but we thing it deserves a spot on ours!

5. Uclés

If you are driving from Madrid to Valencia, you will recognize the impossing silhouette of the Uclés Monastery. Located on top of a hill, it'‘s nicknamed the ‘Little Escorial’ for its impressive Renaissance and Barroque architecture, and it’s totally worth the detour.

The construction of the present building started in 1529, on the site of a medieval monastery, and lasted 200 years. Its state of preservation is perfect, making it the location of many historical movies and TV series, and if you go on a weekday (except Mondays, when it’s closed), chances are you’ll be the sole visitor.

6. La Mancha, land of Don Quixote

After Toledo, perhaps Castilla La Mancha is most known for being the land of Don Quixote. And for this, we put some of the Cervantes sites on our list of top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain.

Don Quixote of La Mancha, by Miguel de Cervantes, is the most important book written in Spanish. The book, translated to many languages (only second to the Bible!), has made the La Mancha region famous, attracting many visitors from all the world.

The most famous passage in the book is when Don Quixote attacks a group of ‘molinos’ (windmills), believing they are giants. You can still see many of these windmills all over the region. The biggest groups are in Consuegra, close to the castle, Mota del Cuervo and Campo de Criptana. This last one is our favorite, as the windmills are in the middle of this charming white ‘pueblo’, with many underground houses.

Also, you can visit the inside of one of the ‘molinos’, converted into a museum dedicated to Spanish movie star Sara Montiel, born in the town in 1928. And if you visit in late October, don’t miss the “Fiesta del Azafrán”, a popular festival held in Consuegra to celebrate the harvest of saffron flowers.

Don Quixote idealized love interest was Dulcinea del Toboso. El Toboso is one on the few towns in the book referred with its own name, and it’s a nice town to visit. The main attraction is of course the Dulcinea House. A restored traditional house with some local crafts on display.

After Quixote and Sara, the third universal ‘manchego’ (La Mancha born) is famous film director Pedro Almodóvar. Born in Calzada de Calatrava, Pedro has shown his region, its people and customs in many of his films, specially in ‘Volver’, ‘The Flower of my Secret’, and ‘Pain and Glory’.

7. A Spanish Shakespearean Experience

Yes, you. read that right, Castilla-La Mancha Spain offers a Shakespeare (“like”) experience!

Almagro is a charming city in La Mancha. In 1950, during some renovations a 16th century ‘corral de comedias’ was discovered. A ‘corral de comedias’ was and open air courtyard with balconies where theater was played during the 16th and 17th centuries (a more humble version of the Shakeperean Globe theater).

The unique ‘corral’ was restored and is the venue of the the town’s festival, the Festival de Almagro, dedicated to the Spain’s golden age theater.

The “Corral” is located in the town’s Plaza Mayor, one of the most beautiful in Spain, with its green balconies.

Aside from this, Almagro is on the list of “pueblos más bonitos de España” and has a parador hotel. So Almagro makes the cut for our top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain!

8. Unforgettable pueblos of Castilla-La Mancha Spain

We could not put out a list of top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain without mentioning some of our favorite pueblos in the region.

Tembleque, in Toledo province is a sleeply little town with one of the weirdest but most beautiful plazas in Spain. It has been restored to its former glory without losing its charm.

You’ll always find Alcalá del Júcar in any list of most beautiful towns in Spain. Its impressive location, between a mountain and a river bend, as well as its homogeneous white architecture and the imposing castle over it, makes it a dreamlike view when arriving.

Brihuega has many charms as a pueblo, including a nice castle, but it’s the lavender fields around it that has made it famous all over Spain, and attract a lot of visitors by the end of July, when the flowers are in full bloom.

9. Spain’s most famous cheese is from Castilla-La Mancha

Of course we can’t list our top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain without mentioning its most famous product: “Queso Manchego”. “Manchego” is the most famous Spanish cheese, not just in the country, but worldwide. One of the best foods in Spain, it is made with whole sheep milk only, and aged for a time ranging from 60 days to 2 years.

And Castilla-La Mancha is the place to try its many types!

The different varieties are defined precisely for that time:

Fresco: Aged just for 2 weeks

Semicurado: Aged for a perior between 3 weeks and 3 months. It has a mild flavor.

Curado: The aging time is higher, between 3 and 6 months, so the taste is stronger.

Viejo: Aged for more than a year, it has a more pungent flavor and a firmer texture.

Cheese-eating firmly gets a place on our list of top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain!

10. Castilla-La Mancha Spain has wineries too!

Did our 10 top 10 things to do in Castilla-La Mancha Spain strike a chord with you?

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