THE ENVIROMENT

Valdepeñas

Plaza de España and Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

The Gothic- Isabellian church dates back to the 12. Century and originally was the Cababalleros de Calatrava´s fortress

The Plaza de España, surrounded by plenty of bars and famous for its wines and tapas, is a highly frequented meeting place for locals and guests of Valdepañas
We propose to visit the place at night during the annual wine festival in September, which is very famous among the Spanish population.

       


Cerro de las Cabezas (archaeological site):

The Cerro de las Cabezas is located at 7 km from Valdepeñas, in the south of the province of Cuidad Real.  Here, the vestiges from the Iberian occupation between VI. and II. B.C. can be found.

Almagro

Picturesque historic town, only at 35 km from Valdepeñas. You should visit the
Plaza Mayor, the Corral de Comedias (one of Europe´s oldest theaters) and the Museum of Theater, as well as get to know culture and activities around the theater.

The town was shaped by the knightly order of Calatrava.  But it actually prospered under the Fugger family and during the era of Emperor Karl V. (XVI. century). During this time, the most important buildings (convents, churches, the Fugger´s branch office, the university and the Corral-Theater) were constructed.

Tablas de Daimiel:

Wetlands in the middle of the Mancha, only 40 km away from Valdepeñas. The national park with its beautiful loop roads is especially suited for bird watching.
A visit is recommended in spring or autumn.
The characteristic yellow, red and ochre tones in the desert and dry region of La Mancha are converted into various green shades under the influence of humidity.
Timber bridges around the loop roads connect the separate islands and so allow an easily accessible and pleasant circuit.

    



Lagunas de Ruidera

Certainly the most beautiful natural park nearby, located 55 km from Valdepeñas, promises a pleasant trip after breakfast.

The lake plateau of the Lagunas de Ruidera is located on the upper run of the Lake of Guandiana. The 15 lakes are connected like pearls. A footpath flanks the left hand side of the shore, along the right hand side there is a road.
You can find the typical vegetation of the Meseta and the Mediterranean area.
The predominant tree is the holm oak, which, together with the scarce savin is able to survive in high areas with intense climate contrasts. Holm oaks are often displaced by dense shrubbery consisting of e.g. the kermes oak, the gorse and the Spanish cedar.
The flora in spring is just amazing!
At the edge of the lagoon, there appear the elm and the white poplar. The lagoons serve the water birds, which reach their maximum population in winter, as a zone to recover and as a hideout.
Birds like the tufted duck, the mallard duck, the bald coot and the diving duck cavort on the clear water surface. Egrets and raptors can be observed as well.

Along the quayside and around the lakes, you can find plenty of restaurants for lunch.

Villanueva de los Infantes

The small town, located at 30 km from Valdepeñas, has a picturesque historic city centre. Particularly worth seeing is the Plaza Mayor, which is surrounded by plenty of
archways and houses with wooden balconies, and from which many little roads diverge.
The architecture is characterized by elements of the Renaissance and the Classic Baroque. The typical building type with facades adorned with emblems and with patios can be discovered consistently in public buildings and family estates.
During a pleasant walk through the city centre, you will pass enchanting corners and can visit the Palacio del Marqués de Melgarejos, the Convento de Santo Domingo, nowadays a hotel, or the Alhóndiga, nowadays a house of culture.
Around the Plaza Mayor you can find plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy the local gastronomy.

Castillo de Calatrava

A trip to Calzada de Calatrava (Pedro Almodóvar´s birth place!) at a distance of 50 km from Valdepeñas with wonderful views on the environs, and farther to the fortress Calatrava, is one of the most unforgettable tours you can make.
You will be fascinated by the fortress, both because of its history related to the Spanish Reconquista and because of its breataking panorama that you can find there.
The fortress is located in the Campo de Calatrava, a gentle-hilly volcanic landscape that seems like it had not changed since medieval times.

From the high towers you have a spectacular view of the Sierra Morena and on the width of the Castilian Plateau.

If you return in the evening to Valdepeñas, here you can still enjoy the typical Spanish ambience with taverns, bars and tapas.

 
Viso del Marqués

40 km away from Valdepeñas, in an almost forgotten small rural town, you will be surprised by a palace, which, in spite of his simple outside facade turns out to be  one of the most spectacular constructions of the Spanish Renaissance when you enter.
Don Álvaro de Bazán, irrepressible admiral of Felipe II, built here, in the middle of the „dry sea“of the Mancha, an in Italian- seeming palace which is painted with colorful frescoes of all his seafaring.
The building, today general archive of the Spanish navy lies at an equal distance to the three seas: Atlantic Ocean, Cantrabric Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.