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Castilla-La Mancha

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.

The area’s best known city is glorious Toledo, Spain’s spiritual capital, while Cuenca is another wondrous place, seemingly about to topple off its eagle’s-eyrie perch high above a gorge.

On a more sensory level, this is where saffron is grown and also the capital of Spain’s unrivalled Manchego cheese. The latter makes the perfect accompaniment to the local wines – La Mancha grows more vines than any other region worldwide.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Castilla-La Mancha.

  • See

    Catedral de Toledo

    Toledo's illustrious main church ranks among the top 10 cathedrals in Spain. An impressive example of medieval Gothic architecture, its enormous interior is full of the classic characteristics of the style, rose windows, flying buttresses, ribbed vaults and pointed arches among them. The cathedral’s sacristy is a veritable art gallery of old masters, with works by Velázquez, Goya and – of course – El Greco. Admission also gives access to the nearby Museo de Tapices y Textiles de la Catedral.

  • See

    Casas Colgadas

    The most striking element of medieval Cuenca, the casas colgadas (hanging houses) jut out precariously over the steep defile of Río Huécar. Dating from the 14th century, the houses, with their layers of wooden balconies, seem to emerge from the rock as if an extension of the cliffs. The best views of the casas colgadas is from the Puente de San Pablo footbridge. Today the houses host – somewhat improbably – an abstract art museum founded in the 1960s.

  • See

    Catedral de Santa María de Sigüenza

    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 in 1130, work continued for four centuries as the church was expanded and adorned. The largely Gothic result is laced with elements of other styles, from plateresque through to Renaissance to Mudéjar. The church was heavily damaged during the civil war (note the pockmarks from bullets and shells in the bell tower), but was subsequently rebuilt.

  • See

    Ruinas Romanas de Valeria

    The fascinating archaeological site of Ruinas Romanas de Valeria is located just outside the village of Valeria, 34km south of Cuenca. Though not as extensive as the nearby ruins of Segóbriga, Valeria is less known to tourists meaning you'll have the rare, evocative pleasure of wandering around the site of a former sizeable Roman town without the distraction of coach tours and school groups. The location is fittingly sublime, set amid meadows and flanked by dramatic gorges.

  • See

    Castillo de Calatrava la Nueva

    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 Andalucía. A steep cobbled road takes you to the top, where you can alternate gazing at expansive views with exploring this extraordinary castle-cum-monastery in closer detail. Highlights include the vast basilica, a lofty watch tower and the grinding mill, which was turned by horses (the original drinking troughs are also present).

  • See

    Museo Paleontológico de Castilla-La Mancha

    Cuenca’s cutting-edge palaeontology museum is a must for anyone interested in Spain's fascinating prehistorical record. Though anchored by its appropriately kid-friendly dinosaur exhibition (‘Tierra de Dinosaurios’), this is a serious paleontology museum, with key specimens on display that have been instrumental in scientific breakthroughs, and signage in Spanish and English. Spacious modern galleries are decorated with locally found fossils, skeletons and skulls, plus mock-ups of enormous Cretaceous-era reptiles like the Titanosaur, among the largest land creatures to ever walk the earth.

  • See

    Palacio de los Duques del Infantado

    The only reason to visit businesslike Guadalajara, aside from changing buses, is a pretty good one: the former palace of the illustrious Mendoza clan is unique in Spain, as its ornate facade punctuated by spiky diamond-shaped stones amply testifies. Creep inside the courtyard – the hallowed Patio de los Leones – and your pulse will quicken further on seeing a surfeit of elaborately carved lion and griffin motifs lining the columns.

  • See

    Corral de Comedias

    Opening onto the plaza is the oldest theatre in Spain. The 17th-century Corral de Comedias is an evocative tribute to the golden age of Spanish theatre, with rows of wooden balconies facing the original stage, complete with dressing rooms. Once daily (twice on Saturday) visits become 'theatrised' with costumed actors replacing the audio guide: this costs €3 more. It's still used for performances on Saturday evenings from the end of March to mid-December (though not in July); buy tickets via the website.

  • See

    Catedral de Cuenca

    Luring visitors in with its impressive old-looking facade (it was actually cleverly rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1902), Cuneca’s cathedral is well worth a visit. It was built on the site of the main mosque after the city's reconquest by Alfonso VIII in 1177. Highlights include the magnificent Renaissance doorway leading to the cloisters and the chapter house artesonado (wooden) ceiling painted in pastel colours. The striking abstract stained-glass windows were added in the 20th century. An excellent audioguide delves into the details.