Castilla-La Mancha

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Overview

Castilla-La Mancha not only has Spain’s lowest population density, but sees fewer tourists than any region outside Navarra. Located on a windswept fertile plateau, the landscape is richly patterned, with undulating plains of rich henna-coloured earth, neatly striped and stippled with olive groves and grape vines, stretching to a horizon you never seem to reach. This is the land where Cervantes set the fictional journeys of Don Quijote with quixotic reminders everywhere; from the solitary windmills to the abundant (mostly ruined) castles.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Catedral de Toledo

Toledo

Toledo's illustrious main church ranks among the top 10 cathedrals in Spain. An impressive example of medieval Gothic architecture, its enormous interior…

Sinagoga del Tránsito

Toledo

This magnificent synagogue was built in 1355 by special permission from Pedro I. The synagogue now houses the Museo Sefardí, which provides a glimpse into…

Casas Colgadas

Cuenca

The most striking element of medieval Cuenca, the casas colgadas (hanging houses) jut out precariously over the steep defile of Río Huécar. Dating from…

Catedral de Santa María de Sigüenza

Castilla-La Mancha

Rising up from the heart of the old town is the city’s centuries-in-the-making masterpiece – the Cathedral of Santa María. Begun as a Romanesque structure…

Castillo de Calatrava la Nueva

Castilla-La Mancha

This magnificent castle-monastery looms high in the sky some 35km south of Almagro, from where it once controlled the path into the Sierra Morena and…

Museo Paleontológico de Castilla-La Mancha

Cuenca

Cuenca’s cutting-edge palaeontology museum is a must for anyone interested in Spain's fascinating prehistorical record. Though anchored by its…

Museo de Arte Abstracto Español

Cuenca

From the outside, they look as if they’ve been sawn off from some high-altitude Tibetan temple, but, from the inside, Cuenca’s famous casas colgadas …

Teatro Municipal

Castilla-La Mancha

Forced to play plain younger sibling to the (much) older and wiser Corral de Comedias in this famous theatre town, the Municipal occupies an 1860s…

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