Things to do in Castile La Mancha Spain
Scattered across a landscape of arid mountains, thick-forested river valleys, and endless flat, stultifying plains, the communities of the Castile La Mancha region appear as though they've been left behind by the modern world. Villages, though charming, seem cloaked in a sense of doom; little jewels of Renaissance religious architecture are boarded up and abandoned; and John Deere service signsthe only evidence of contemporary cultureline the main drags of dusty prairie crossroad towns.
Tilled grain fields, vineyards, and shepherds who maneuver their flocks across the highway are reminders that hardscrabble agriculture provides over a third of this vast region's million and a half inhabitants with their only livelihood.
Never a center of tourism, Castile La Mancha, one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities and composed of the provinces of Guadalajara, Cuenca, Albacete, Ciudad Real, and Toledo, tends to be seen only by travelers on their way to somewhere else. But even if you omit the city of Toledo from the itinerary, the region's claim on the visitor's attention span is justified by three firstrate towns Sigiienza, Cuenca, and Almagroplus some unique swaths of landscape that stand out amid all the empty space that in some curious way manages to bind a vast, diverse region together.
The region has been historically known as Castilla la Nueva (New Castile) and, until 1977, it included Madrid and excluded Albacete. Originally part of the kingdom of Castile, its nucleus consisted of the southern lands that fell under Christian domination just after the reconquest of Toledo from the Moors in 1085.
The region was later expanded to include the harsh-contoured eastern plateau. New Castile was originally ruled by fighting religious brotherhoods (the Knights of Santiago, the Knights Templars, and the Knights of Calatrava) who received land and feudal privileges as rewards for their service in the Reconquista (reconquest of the Iberian peninsula). While the Catholic Church long wielded power from Toledo, secular control of the region later passed to noble dynasties. For centuries New Castile was the bread-basket of central Spain.
But the land was never able to sustain a booming economy, especially after agriculturally more productive lands were incorporated into the greater nation unified by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the 15th century. The immortal early 17th-century author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra chose aptly when he had his fictitious Don Quixote seek out knightly adventures in tiny, dreary farm towns of La Mancha's flatlands.
For centuries the residents of the region managed a meager existence through farming and, for a time, small industry. Then, after years of neglect and relative isolation from the rest of Spain, the region's fortunes began to shift. In 1977 two years after the death of Generalissimo Francisco Franco ended his 36 year right wing dictatorshipthe Spanish map was drastically overhauled, creating the new autonomous community of Castile La Mancha, which excludes Madrid and includes the adjacent province of Albacete.
When the new regional authorities began to take inventory of their territory, they happily found that it had a lot more going for it than anyone had thought, its most valuable asset being a varied and almost entirely untouched landscape, with winding rivers and inland lakes stretching from the arid, rust colored foothills of Guadalajara to the lush green pine forests, towering granite cliffs, and deep cut canyons of Cuenca. Even the vast, flat stretches of pokey old La Mancha turned out to possess towns of considerable charm, with extraordinary architectural flourishes in no way inferior to the castles, churches, and convents found in the rest of the region.
Unlike other parts of Spain, where visitors must pick their way through ugly industrial zones and high rise apartment blocks to locate the old Quarter (usually referred to as the Casco Viejo), this region has not only its monumental jewels fairly intact, but their settings as well. The market towns and villages have not changed much from former times, although they've paid a heavy social and economic price. Many villages have been abandoned altogether, and nearly all the towns along the way seem to be given over to elderly, beretclad men. Women, strangely enough, remain unseen, and such adolescents as there are hang around listlessly on the street corners or in the rock 'n' roll bars, waiting for their chance to escape to the cities.
Castilian cuisine
As might be expected, given the distinct provinces that make up this region, variety is the keynote in the culinary department. In northern Guadalajara, the Castilian taste for tender roast meat, suckling pig (cochinillo asado), lamb (cordero asado), and kid goat (cabrito) predominates. In Cuenca, the visitor will come across a few dishes unheard of elsewhere, such as ajo arriero, a creamy paste of mashed codfish and garlic, delicious when spread on Cuenca's excellent bread. In both areas, however, pride of place goes to game dishes, including partridge (perdiz), rabbit (conejo), and wild boar (jabali)and to trout, now mostly fattened in fish farms, but nearly as tasty as its riverbed cousin, and available year-round. La Mancha, where wine and cheese are first and foremost, is an altogether different story.
But it, too, has a delicious and unique menu, which shows its Moorish origins in unusual combinations of flavors: for instance, migas del pastor (croutons fried in olive oil, with garlic, ham, fatback, sausage, and grapes), stewed lamb seasoned with nutmeg, saffron, and white wine, and pisto manchego (a thick vegetable stew with beef or rabbit). The ubiquitous cheese queso manchego (La Mancha cheese), from ewe's milk, can be fresh from the farm or aged to bring out its strong flavor.
Castile la Mancha in Autumn
Autumn, when the leaves of the birch trees change color, is by far the best time to visit this region. At night, at these altitudes of 800 to 1,200 feet, the temperature can drop drastically even in summer so be prepared. And don't come in the winter; even local residents don't like it here during that severe season.
Keep in mind when planning visits to churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest that in Castile La Mancha as elsewhere in Spain opening hours are generally from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules are abbreviated on weekends, and may also change with the season.
Sigiienza places to visit
It's well worth an extra night in Sigiienza to allow for an excursion into the surrounding mountain towns. All told, the suggested loop that follows entails a detour of 172 miles (275 krn), but it can be cut short at more than one point for the return to Sigiienza. From Paseo de la Alameda, head northwest on C114, following signs for Atienza, 19 miles (31 km) away.
Atienza's lordly 12th-century castle will be visible long before the rest of the town comes into view; a closer look reveals four Romanesque churches, red-tiled and half-timbered townhouses, the Plaza del Trigo (Plaza of Wheat) supported by lovely stone columns, and the 11th to 13thcentury arches of the town walls.
At the fork in the road outside of town, make a left onto C101 going south toward Guadalajara. Jadraque lies 20 miles (33 km) ahead, with its castle on a conical hill towering over lavender-studded fields that feed the bees that make the honey that is the province's main cash crop.
Another 12 miles (19 km) ahead on C101 lies the walled town of Hita, home of Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, a 14th-century clergyman and author of the Libra de Buen Amor (Book of Good Love), a ribald and picaresque work that attacked medieval Spain's privileged classes and became the pre-eminent classic of its age. Hita's old city walls are still standing, but many churches and other sites were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
The townspeople, though, still strive to keep the past alive, and, early in July, Hita comes to life for a medieval festival, complete with jousting tournaments, colorful folk dancing, and openair theater performances. Continue south along C1Ol for 14 miles (22 km) until it rejoins N11 4 miles (6 km) north of Guadalajara, the provincial capital. Leveled during the civil war, Guadalajara does not pretend to be anything other than a highrise bedroom community of Madrid, not worth the bother except to see the 15th-century Palacio de Los Duques del Infanto, with its diamond-studded facade,on the Plaza de Los Caidos.
From Hita travelers can return to Sigiienza directly, or press on to one more town. To continue on, take N320 east toward Sacedon and Cuenca, but turn onto C200 about 14 miles (22 km) down the road. Soon after, the town of Pastrana rises up on a geologic hump over the surrounding patchwork plains. A pleasant place for a stroll is the steep quarter that once housed Moors from Granada who worked on silk tapestries commissioned by the Dukes of Pastrana.
Things to do in Cuenca
A spectacular setting, picturesquely and precariously located hanging houses, natural wonders, elegant monuments, modern art, and good local food it's almost impossible to be disappointed by Cuenca. The city's medieval Casco Viejo (Old Town) is perched atop a steep escarpment where the Rio Huecar, a narrow trickle of a stream, intersects with the meandering Rio Jucar, graced by a bower of birch trees angled like crossed swords over its banks.
The town's medieval streets cascade down the escarpment, so exploring it entails just two directions, up or down, and is best done on foot. (For those short of wind, there is a bus that runs every 20 minutes from the new quarter up to the Casco Viejo's main square, the Plaza Mayor de Pio XII, or simply Plaza Mayor.
Also planned is an escalator from modern Cuenca up to the Casco Viejo.) A view of the city from an outside vantage point is recommended first, however. Walk behind the cathedral, which edges the Plaza Mayor, past the Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses), and over the steelandwood footbridge that leads to the opposite side of the Huecar gorge; this site offers a great perspective on the most photogenic side of the Casco Viejo.
The Casas Colgadas
The Casas Colgadas are 14th-century houses that, for want of space, were built several stories high and right at the edge of the escarpment, with wooden balconies cantilevered out over the gorge itself. Two have had their lath and timber innards wonderfully restored and transformed into the Museo de Arte Abstracto Espanol, displaying works by modern masters who settled in Cuenca in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Fernando Zabel, Luis Feito, Antoni Tapies, Eduardo Chillida, and Antonio Saura.
Cuenca Cathedral
The Catedral de Cuenca, on the Casco Viejo's Plaza Mayor, was built in the 12th and 13th centuries with a later facade and is notable for its design, an amalgam of French Gothic and Anglo-Norman styles unique to Spain. Also noteworthy inside is the mix of Baroque and neo-classical details on the 18th-century altarpiece and side chapels, as well as a profusion of iron grillwork. The cathedral's mused diocesano (diocesan museum) contains two EI Greco canvases, the 12thcentury statue of the Virgen del Sagrario, and some interesting Flemish tapestries. The museum is closed Mondays; admission charge.
For more spectacular views over both river gorges and the granite cliffs opposite, take any of the streets going left uphill from the Plaza Mayor to the highest part of the rock plinth on which old Cuenca sits. A town map identifying the profusion of ruined convents, churches, and noble palaces along the way is available from the Oficina de Turismo down in the modern city.
Religious music week Cuenca
Cuenca is known for its annual Semana de Musica Religiosa (Religious Music Week) held the week before Easter, with performances packing a new auditorium built into the Huecar cliffside. Orchestral and polyphonic choral groups from all of Europe take part in the festival, notable for reviving the works of lesser-known Renaissance composers.
Those with the time to spend an extra day in the area and a desire for a change of scenery may wish to pack a picnic lunch and make a detour to the northeast, into the surrounding Serrania de Cuenca mountain range, with its trout streams and spectacular birch and pine trees. To make the 94mile (150km) day trip, take CU920/921 by hire car, which begins at the small bridge where the Rios Huecar and Jucar converge, and head north along the Jucar for 13 miles (21 km) to the village of Villalba de la Sierra. Bear sharply right at the sign for Tragacete Ciudad Encantada. Approximately 200 yards ahead, bear left, remaining on CU921.
Climb up the mountain for 2.5 miles (4 km), park at the souvenir stand, and walk up to the Ventano del Diablo, a natural balcony carved by wind and water erosion, which com mands a striking view down the 10mile long canyon that the Rio Jucar has gouged out of its limestone bed. Return to the car, continue upward, and take the well-marked road to the right (CU913) to the Ciudad Encantada (Enchanted City). Here the sights are almost as Disneyesque as the name suggests. Centuries of erosion have sculpted the rock into fanciful shapes that resemble everything from balancing seals to gigantic mushrooms. It takes about 40 minutes to walk from end to end.
Continuing along CU921 over the Jucar gorge toward Tragacete, the road is narrow but well graded (there are guard rails only on the sharpest curves, but two-way traffic, thankfully, is almost nonexistent). Pass the reservoir and the trout hatcheries of Una, and follow the road inland, now some 4,600 feet above sea level. At Tragacete, a popular hunting village, turn left at the sign for Nacimiento del Rio Cuervo and continue another 8 miles (13 km) on the rough road to the rest area and picnic grounds. At the Source of the Rio Cuervo, streams come trickling in a crystal curtain out of the rock face and down a mossy, juniperframed cliffside. Hiking paths abound.
After taking in the valley at Vega del Coronado, continue along the same road, which now curves back on itself and leads down the other side of the sierra, even more thickly forested with Scotch pine and holm oak. Follow the signs to Las Majadas.
Tilled grain fields, vineyards, and shepherds who maneuver their flocks across the highway are reminders that hardscrabble agriculture provides over a third of this vast region's million and a half inhabitants with their only livelihood.
Never a center of tourism, Castile La Mancha, one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities and composed of the provinces of Guadalajara, Cuenca, Albacete, Ciudad Real, and Toledo, tends to be seen only by travelers on their way to somewhere else. But even if you omit the city of Toledo from the itinerary, the region's claim on the visitor's attention span is justified by three firstrate towns Sigiienza, Cuenca, and Almagroplus some unique swaths of landscape that stand out amid all the empty space that in some curious way manages to bind a vast, diverse region together.
The region has been historically known as Castilla la Nueva (New Castile) and, until 1977, it included Madrid and excluded Albacete. Originally part of the kingdom of Castile, its nucleus consisted of the southern lands that fell under Christian domination just after the reconquest of Toledo from the Moors in 1085.
The region was later expanded to include the harsh-contoured eastern plateau. New Castile was originally ruled by fighting religious brotherhoods (the Knights of Santiago, the Knights Templars, and the Knights of Calatrava) who received land and feudal privileges as rewards for their service in the Reconquista (reconquest of the Iberian peninsula). While the Catholic Church long wielded power from Toledo, secular control of the region later passed to noble dynasties. For centuries New Castile was the bread-basket of central Spain.
But the land was never able to sustain a booming economy, especially after agriculturally more productive lands were incorporated into the greater nation unified by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the 15th century. The immortal early 17th-century author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra chose aptly when he had his fictitious Don Quixote seek out knightly adventures in tiny, dreary farm towns of La Mancha's flatlands.
For centuries the residents of the region managed a meager existence through farming and, for a time, small industry. Then, after years of neglect and relative isolation from the rest of Spain, the region's fortunes began to shift. In 1977 two years after the death of Generalissimo Francisco Franco ended his 36 year right wing dictatorshipthe Spanish map was drastically overhauled, creating the new autonomous community of Castile La Mancha, which excludes Madrid and includes the adjacent province of Albacete.
When the new regional authorities began to take inventory of their territory, they happily found that it had a lot more going for it than anyone had thought, its most valuable asset being a varied and almost entirely untouched landscape, with winding rivers and inland lakes stretching from the arid, rust colored foothills of Guadalajara to the lush green pine forests, towering granite cliffs, and deep cut canyons of Cuenca. Even the vast, flat stretches of pokey old La Mancha turned out to possess towns of considerable charm, with extraordinary architectural flourishes in no way inferior to the castles, churches, and convents found in the rest of the region.
Unlike other parts of Spain, where visitors must pick their way through ugly industrial zones and high rise apartment blocks to locate the old Quarter (usually referred to as the Casco Viejo), this region has not only its monumental jewels fairly intact, but their settings as well. The market towns and villages have not changed much from former times, although they've paid a heavy social and economic price. Many villages have been abandoned altogether, and nearly all the towns along the way seem to be given over to elderly, beretclad men. Women, strangely enough, remain unseen, and such adolescents as there are hang around listlessly on the street corners or in the rock 'n' roll bars, waiting for their chance to escape to the cities.
Castilian cuisine
As might be expected, given the distinct provinces that make up this region, variety is the keynote in the culinary department. In northern Guadalajara, the Castilian taste for tender roast meat, suckling pig (cochinillo asado), lamb (cordero asado), and kid goat (cabrito) predominates. In Cuenca, the visitor will come across a few dishes unheard of elsewhere, such as ajo arriero, a creamy paste of mashed codfish and garlic, delicious when spread on Cuenca's excellent bread. In both areas, however, pride of place goes to game dishes, including partridge (perdiz), rabbit (conejo), and wild boar (jabali)and to trout, now mostly fattened in fish farms, but nearly as tasty as its riverbed cousin, and available year-round. La Mancha, where wine and cheese are first and foremost, is an altogether different story.
But it, too, has a delicious and unique menu, which shows its Moorish origins in unusual combinations of flavors: for instance, migas del pastor (croutons fried in olive oil, with garlic, ham, fatback, sausage, and grapes), stewed lamb seasoned with nutmeg, saffron, and white wine, and pisto manchego (a thick vegetable stew with beef or rabbit). The ubiquitous cheese queso manchego (La Mancha cheese), from ewe's milk, can be fresh from the farm or aged to bring out its strong flavor.
Castile la Mancha in Autumn
Autumn, when the leaves of the birch trees change color, is by far the best time to visit this region. At night, at these altitudes of 800 to 1,200 feet, the temperature can drop drastically even in summer so be prepared. And don't come in the winter; even local residents don't like it here during that severe season.
Keep in mind when planning visits to churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest that in Castile La Mancha as elsewhere in Spain opening hours are generally from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules are abbreviated on weekends, and may also change with the season.
Sigiienza places to visit
It's well worth an extra night in Sigiienza to allow for an excursion into the surrounding mountain towns. All told, the suggested loop that follows entails a detour of 172 miles (275 krn), but it can be cut short at more than one point for the return to Sigiienza. From Paseo de la Alameda, head northwest on C114, following signs for Atienza, 19 miles (31 km) away.
Atienza's lordly 12th-century castle will be visible long before the rest of the town comes into view; a closer look reveals four Romanesque churches, red-tiled and half-timbered townhouses, the Plaza del Trigo (Plaza of Wheat) supported by lovely stone columns, and the 11th to 13thcentury arches of the town walls.
At the fork in the road outside of town, make a left onto C101 going south toward Guadalajara. Jadraque lies 20 miles (33 km) ahead, with its castle on a conical hill towering over lavender-studded fields that feed the bees that make the honey that is the province's main cash crop.
Another 12 miles (19 km) ahead on C101 lies the walled town of Hita, home of Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, a 14th-century clergyman and author of the Libra de Buen Amor (Book of Good Love), a ribald and picaresque work that attacked medieval Spain's privileged classes and became the pre-eminent classic of its age. Hita's old city walls are still standing, but many churches and other sites were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
The townspeople, though, still strive to keep the past alive, and, early in July, Hita comes to life for a medieval festival, complete with jousting tournaments, colorful folk dancing, and openair theater performances. Continue south along C1Ol for 14 miles (22 km) until it rejoins N11 4 miles (6 km) north of Guadalajara, the provincial capital. Leveled during the civil war, Guadalajara does not pretend to be anything other than a highrise bedroom community of Madrid, not worth the bother except to see the 15th-century Palacio de Los Duques del Infanto, with its diamond-studded facade,on the Plaza de Los Caidos.
From Hita travelers can return to Sigiienza directly, or press on to one more town. To continue on, take N320 east toward Sacedon and Cuenca, but turn onto C200 about 14 miles (22 km) down the road. Soon after, the town of Pastrana rises up on a geologic hump over the surrounding patchwork plains. A pleasant place for a stroll is the steep quarter that once housed Moors from Granada who worked on silk tapestries commissioned by the Dukes of Pastrana.
Things to do in Cuenca
A spectacular setting, picturesquely and precariously located hanging houses, natural wonders, elegant monuments, modern art, and good local food it's almost impossible to be disappointed by Cuenca. The city's medieval Casco Viejo (Old Town) is perched atop a steep escarpment where the Rio Huecar, a narrow trickle of a stream, intersects with the meandering Rio Jucar, graced by a bower of birch trees angled like crossed swords over its banks.
The town's medieval streets cascade down the escarpment, so exploring it entails just two directions, up or down, and is best done on foot. (For those short of wind, there is a bus that runs every 20 minutes from the new quarter up to the Casco Viejo's main square, the Plaza Mayor de Pio XII, or simply Plaza Mayor.
Also planned is an escalator from modern Cuenca up to the Casco Viejo.) A view of the city from an outside vantage point is recommended first, however. Walk behind the cathedral, which edges the Plaza Mayor, past the Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses), and over the steelandwood footbridge that leads to the opposite side of the Huecar gorge; this site offers a great perspective on the most photogenic side of the Casco Viejo.
The Casas Colgadas
The Casas Colgadas are 14th-century houses that, for want of space, were built several stories high and right at the edge of the escarpment, with wooden balconies cantilevered out over the gorge itself. Two have had their lath and timber innards wonderfully restored and transformed into the Museo de Arte Abstracto Espanol, displaying works by modern masters who settled in Cuenca in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Fernando Zabel, Luis Feito, Antoni Tapies, Eduardo Chillida, and Antonio Saura.
Cuenca Cathedral
The Catedral de Cuenca, on the Casco Viejo's Plaza Mayor, was built in the 12th and 13th centuries with a later facade and is notable for its design, an amalgam of French Gothic and Anglo-Norman styles unique to Spain. Also noteworthy inside is the mix of Baroque and neo-classical details on the 18th-century altarpiece and side chapels, as well as a profusion of iron grillwork. The cathedral's mused diocesano (diocesan museum) contains two EI Greco canvases, the 12thcentury statue of the Virgen del Sagrario, and some interesting Flemish tapestries. The museum is closed Mondays; admission charge.
For more spectacular views over both river gorges and the granite cliffs opposite, take any of the streets going left uphill from the Plaza Mayor to the highest part of the rock plinth on which old Cuenca sits. A town map identifying the profusion of ruined convents, churches, and noble palaces along the way is available from the Oficina de Turismo down in the modern city.
Religious music week Cuenca
Cuenca is known for its annual Semana de Musica Religiosa (Religious Music Week) held the week before Easter, with performances packing a new auditorium built into the Huecar cliffside. Orchestral and polyphonic choral groups from all of Europe take part in the festival, notable for reviving the works of lesser-known Renaissance composers.
Those with the time to spend an extra day in the area and a desire for a change of scenery may wish to pack a picnic lunch and make a detour to the northeast, into the surrounding Serrania de Cuenca mountain range, with its trout streams and spectacular birch and pine trees. To make the 94mile (150km) day trip, take CU920/921 by hire car, which begins at the small bridge where the Rios Huecar and Jucar converge, and head north along the Jucar for 13 miles (21 km) to the village of Villalba de la Sierra. Bear sharply right at the sign for Tragacete Ciudad Encantada. Approximately 200 yards ahead, bear left, remaining on CU921.
Climb up the mountain for 2.5 miles (4 km), park at the souvenir stand, and walk up to the Ventano del Diablo, a natural balcony carved by wind and water erosion, which com mands a striking view down the 10mile long canyon that the Rio Jucar has gouged out of its limestone bed. Return to the car, continue upward, and take the well-marked road to the right (CU913) to the Ciudad Encantada (Enchanted City). Here the sights are almost as Disneyesque as the name suggests. Centuries of erosion have sculpted the rock into fanciful shapes that resemble everything from balancing seals to gigantic mushrooms. It takes about 40 minutes to walk from end to end.
Continuing along CU921 over the Jucar gorge toward Tragacete, the road is narrow but well graded (there are guard rails only on the sharpest curves, but two-way traffic, thankfully, is almost nonexistent). Pass the reservoir and the trout hatcheries of Una, and follow the road inland, now some 4,600 feet above sea level. At Tragacete, a popular hunting village, turn left at the sign for Nacimiento del Rio Cuervo and continue another 8 miles (13 km) on the rough road to the rest area and picnic grounds. At the Source of the Rio Cuervo, streams come trickling in a crystal curtain out of the rock face and down a mossy, juniperframed cliffside. Hiking paths abound.
After taking in the valley at Vega del Coronado, continue along the same road, which now curves back on itself and leads down the other side of the sierra, even more thickly forested with Scotch pine and holm oak. Follow the signs to Las Majadas.
Labels: Cuenca Cathedral
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