Camping Castille-La Mancha

Castille-La Mancha is the region of Spain famous for its arts and crafts, historical towns, unique monuments, and for being home to the famous literary hero Don Quixote. Thus, it is a great place for camping enthusiasts as it has well-arranged campsites in amazing natural surroundings. Plan your camping holiday now!

Castille–La Mancha is located in the middle of the Iberian peninsula, occupying the greater part of the Submeseta Sur, the vast plain that composes the southern part of the Meseta Central. The Submeseta Sur (and the autonomous community) is separated from the Submeseta Norte (and the community of Castilla y León) by the mountain range known as the Central System.

The agrarian capitalism favoured by the bourgeoisie in the 19th century enshrined an economy based on cereal commodities and the primary sector, favouring the levelling of the reduced industrial activity—chiefly textile—in the territory corresponding to the current-day region, whereas mining output— with sites such as the mercury deposits in Almadén or the coal deposits in Puertollano—remained below potential. A silver rush broke out in the mining district around Hiendelaencina after 1844. Large-scale mining of lead and zinc in San Quintín (province of Ciudad Real) ensued between 1884 and 1934. The arrival of railway transport in the mid-19th-century subordinated the interests of the provinces to those of Madrid and the Levante, although it fostered the development of some urban centres such as those of Alcázar de San Juan, Manzanares, and Albacete. Over the course of the century, the five provinces lost relative demographic weight relative to the national total. The territory of the current-day region was singularly affected by the confiscations, particularly those of Mendizábal and Madoz. From 1836 to 1924, 1,600,000 hectares (4,000,000 acres) of land were auctioned (1,100,000 hectares of municipal properties and the rest of the church's property). They were purchased by the political and economic elites of the country.

Toledo

It is the capital of the region and a UNESCO World Heritage Town. It was also the former home of the Mannerist painter El Greco. The city has many monuments, the most prominent of which is the breathtaking Cathedral.

Guadalajara

The main sights are the Palacio del Infantado, Parque Natural del Alto Tajo, the Pantheon of the Condesa de la Vega del Pozo, and the Palacio de la Cotilla.

Puertollano

The main sights are Paseo de San Gregorio, Estacion de Ferrocaril de Puertollano, and Museo de la Mineria de Puertollano.

Ciudad Real

The Quixote Museum in the city is dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes’ classic Spanish novel, "Don Quixote." The Gothic-style San Pedro Church is noted for its Moorish decorations. The Cathedral of Santa María del Prado has 13th-century features, a vast nave, and an elaborate Baroque altarpiece.

Cuenca

Perched on a limestone spur high above the Júcar and Huécar rivers, it is famous for its well-preserved hanging houses. Cantilevered over the Huécar gorge, they seemingly cling to the cliffs’ edges. The city has steep cobbled streets and medieval castle ruins. 

1. Cathedral Primada

The tower of the cathedral was designed and built mostly by Alvar Martínez. It is Gothic, with some decorative Mudéjar influence, and reaches a height of 92 m.

2. Mirador del Valle

It is a scenic overlook in Toledo offering panoramic city and sunset views, restaurants, and a market.

3. Cathedral De Cuenca

The building is one of the earliest Spanish examples of Gothic architecture.

4. Puente de San Pablo (Saint Paul Bridge) 

It is an ideal spot to see the city’s famous hanging houses, enjoy panoramic views and take some great photos.

5. Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

It is a wonderful well-kept monastery. It is worth the entry to see the idyllic garden surrounded by two levels of cloisters and intricate decorations.

1. Explore Museo del Greco in Toledo.

The museum boasts an extensive collection of El Greco’s pieces from the 16th and 17th centuries, demonstrating the artist’s influence on the city’s cultural development during that time.

2. Discover windmills in Campo de Criptana.

One of the most iconic sights in Castille-La Mancha is the landscape of white windmills, which can be seen in Campo de Criptana, a municipality in the province of Ciudad Real. 

3. Explore Alcazar in Toledo.

Set on Toledo’s highest hilltop, the Alcázar fortress is one of the UNESCO World Heritage City’s best sights. 

4. Go to the Palace of Galiana.

It is an amazing palace on the borders of the Tagus River. It was built on the site of an earlier summer villa and garden of Al-Mamun, the king of the Taifa of Toledo.

5. Have fun at Koki Zoo.

It is one of the few zoos in Spain with a selected collection of animals that includes around 150 species and 300 types of plants.

Although the typical dishes of this region are heavy stews and soups, like the cocido madrileno, pisto manchego is one of the most well-known regional dishes, popular all over Spain. The traditional pisto is made simply with red and green peppers, tomatoes, and squash, although it is common to add onion, ham, or eggs. Sopa de Ajo, or garlic soup, is another Manchego dish that is now popular everywhere in Spain and is made of garlic, broth, oil, paprika, and dry bread. Manchego cheese, generally considered to be the finest in Spain, is produced here from ewe’s milk. Thus, Toledo is famous for its marzipan.

National Park of Cabaneros in the Toledo Mountains (Montes de Toledo)

It is an attractive range of fairly small mountains. Look out for the cone-shaped shepherd's cabins known as chozos.

National Park of las Lagunas de Ruidera

It is a series of 16 interconnected lakes with many hiking trails for exploring.

The National Park of the Tablas de Daimiel

The park contains marshy wetlands with raised walkways and observation towers. The wetlands are under threat due to a lowering of the water table.

In most of the Castille-La Mancha city centres, you can find street markets that offer fresh produce. Just keep in mind that they open early in the morning and close at midday. 

Two annual festivals in the region of major national and international interest are the Corpus Christi celebrations in Toledo and Holy Week in Cuenca. Other festivals of interest include the Moors and Christians at Valverde del Júcar and Caudete; the Festival of Medieval Theatre in Hita; the Saffron Rose Festival every October in Consuegra; the January Cow Festival of San Pablo de los Montes; the Festival of the Olive held in Mora each April; and the colourful devil-themed festival La Endiablada each February in Almonacid de Marquesado.

Campsites in Castille-La Mancha are well-equipped and usually have everything you need for your stay. Most of the campsites provide stays in pitches or fully equipped bungalows and have swimming pools. 

RV campsites are well-equipped and usually come with electricity connections and water drainage.