Car Hire Ciudad Real

The Carnival of Ciudad Real is particularly colourful, and is celebrated in the month of February, which is undoubtedly an interesting time to visit the city. Another interesting occasion to visit Ciudad Real is during Eastern week, because during these days the city celebrates the processions with a really contagious and emotional fervour.

However, the festival par excellence of the people of Ciudad Real is the Pandorga, at the end of July, a celebration where there is no lack of good atmosphere and good wine.

Another opportunity to mingle with the people of Ciudad Real is during the month of August, when the fairs in honour of the Virgen del Prado are held, where in addition to the fairs, there are bullfighting and equestrian shows.

Ciudad Real is a land of wine, which is why it hosts the most important Spanish wine fair, FENAVIN, every year. During the month of May, the most important wineries and sommeliers of Castilla-La Mancha and the rest of Spain meet with the most select lovers of Spanish wine from all over the world.

There are few routes of a cultural nature that take on such a transcendent dimension as the Don Quixote route through the province of Ciudad Real. If you’ve read the most universal novel in the world, you’ll see how accurate Cervantes was not only in his use of language, but also in the geography of La Mancha. If you haven’t read Don Quixote, this is a good opportunity to do so.

• Ruidera Lagoons
  We start the route through Ruidera, a protected natural area made up of several lakes and which in the world of Don Quixote places it in the episode of the spells of the magician Merlin. In the Ossa de Montiel, there are several locations mentioned in Don Quixote: the Laguna de la Lengua, the Hundimiento waterfall and the ruins of the Batanes.
• Argamasilla de Alba
  Argamasilla de Alba, it is said that it was in the Cave of Medrano, in this town, that Cervantes conceived and began the writing of Don Quixote. Tomelloso, today famous for its wine cellars and the Posada de los Portales, also appears in the passages of the ingenious Hidalgo.
• Campo de Criptana
  Campo de Criptana, is one of the most characteristic and beautiful pictures of Ciudad Real, La Mancha and the world of Don Quixote. The 34 windmills that make up this area have served as a support for the universal fame that this Spanish region has acquired. One of these mills houses the Culebro Museum, dedicated to Sara Montiel, daughter of this town. There are those who recommend sitting down to observe these windmills to understand why Don Quixote internalized them as terrifying giants.
• Alcazar of San Juan
  Alcázar de San Juan, this town of Roman origin has several monuments of outstanding importance: the church of Santa María la Mayor and that of San Francisco. Its Municipal Museum houses archaeological pieces that show the antiquity of the town. The railway museum exhibits that tell passages from Don Quixote.
• Herencia
  The town of Herencia is a constant reference to Don Quixote, its streets, squares and bars reflect this. Puerto Lápice is a quixotic town in all its expression, the uniform white and indigo houses are a characteristic stamp of La Mancha and of Ciudad Real in particular. La Venta de don Quijote, is a well known hostelry establishment that conserves in perfect condition the decorative details of the world of Don Quixote. It is said that Alonso Quijano was knighted in this inn.

Almagro
This town, only 30 kilometres from the centre of Ciudad Real, has been celebrating the International Classical Theatre Festival every year in June and July since 1978. The Plaza Mayor is a crowded space that invites you to sit down and enjoy it, its wooden windows have a very particular photogeny. Once in town, you must visit the National Theatre Museum and from here enjoy the Corral de Comedias, declared a National Monument. Another monument of singular importance is located in Santo Domingo square, we are talking about the palace of the Counts of Valdeparaíso.

Daimiel
Just 30 kilometres from the centre of Ciudad Real, is the town of Daimiel, a place that has the National Park of Las Tablas de Daimiel, an ecological reserve of unique beauty that preserves the flora and fauna of La Mancha.

Puertollano
This thriving petrochemical city in the province of Ciudad Real is home to the Church of the Assumption and the Church of Our Lady of Grace. Its Municipal Museum has a display of interesting pieces of local art and crafts. The Casa de los Baños is a curious spa built in the 18th century that receives the waters of the Agria spring, to which medicinal properties are attributed.

Valdepeñas
A little less than 30 minutes from the centre of Ciudad Real, is the city of Valdepeñas, a town that lives for wine. During the first week of September, Valdepeñas celebrates the wine week, where its wines of the Valdepeñas Denomination of Origin take the centre of the celebration. During your visit you should visit the Town Hall building, the Plaza Mayor and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

Almadén
An hour’s drive from the centre of Ciudad Real is the town of Almadén, a mercury-rich mining town, one of the most productive of its kind in the world. On your visit to Almadén, you should see the ruins of the Retamar Castle, built in the 12th century. You should also visit the church of San Sebastián, the bullring and the door of Carlos I.