- Holidays.Castilla-La Mancha, the interior (and gastronomic) destination of summer
- Gastronomy: El Bohío, by Pepe Rodríguez, the favorite restaurant of the Spanish according to El Tenedor
From the oldest mercury mines in the world, those of Almadén, in Ciudad Real, to two out of the ordinary historical centers such as those of Toledo and Cuenca. From the largest concentration of rock art in Europe (that of the Mediterranean Arc of the Iberian Peninsula) to the Albacete tamboradas of Tobarra, Hellín and Agramón, whose life revolves around the beatings at Easter.
It is all part of the historical and artistic wealth declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco within Castilla-La Mancha and which attracts both national and international tourists. For some reason, the region, with 2,038,440 inhabitants, achieved its record of tourist visits in 2019, with 23.7 million registered, of which 83.2% correspond to national travelers. In total, they left an income of 1,933 million euros.
Record of tourist visits
These data place the community in the sixth most visited in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). The implementation of a Plan of Measures against Covid-19 aims to get as close as possible to these figures this year, guaranteeing the existence of "a safe and close destination", as the Minister of Economy, Patricia Franco, points out.
Back to Unesco jewels, the last one included in its Intangible Cultural Heritage has been that of the tamboradas, which was incorporated in November, "quite a social and cultural milestone" in the words of the president of the community, Emiliano García-Page . Also included in this list is the artisanal manufacturing of ceramics from Talavera de la Reina and Puente del Arzobispo , a tradition with six centuries of history that maintains more than 40 workshops in the two localities of Toledo.
Some bet on the classic designs that the Muslims implanted and then there are those that bring out their creative vein with the blow of skulls, hearts or deer. Like the interior designer Guille García-Hoz and his collection of enameled ceramic pieces inspired by a crazy animal world led by the deer Oh My Deer Gerardo, with variations ranging from 230 to 250 euros.
The pottery of Talavera de la Reina
He is one of the artists who has collaborated with the leading Ceramic Center of Talavera along with names such as Jaime Hayón, Abe the Ape, Aitor Saraiba, Rubenimichi, Ana Locking or the tattoo artist Iria Alcojor, explains Ana Fernández Pecci, founder of the center almost two years ago. decades with two other "unsuspecting recent ceramic graduates" whose goal is to update this art. Of course, its global ambassador is Tomás Alía, the prominent interior designer from Lagartera (Toledo) and passionate about "mixing ethnic and traditional materials with more avant-garde ones". Ceramics, the economic engine of the area with exports to Japan, the United States or Canada, is the result of so many settlers settled throughout history: Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, Jews, Christians ...
The footprint of that past is also seen in Almadén with the oldest mercury mines in the world, exploited since the 4th century BC. Their activity ceased in 2003, but now more than 20,000 people visit them each year entering a cage through a well until reaching the first floor, 50 meters deep. The so-called Mercury Heritage is completed with the Mining Park, the hexagonal Plaza de Toros (converted into an excellent hotel), the San Rafael Miners Hospital and the Forzados Prison.
Between mills and archaeological sites
A visit can add ecotourism activities in the environment such as hiking trails, horseback or 4x4. Not surprisingly, most tourists from Castilla-La Mancha choose some nature experience to complement their visit. Regarding preferred accommodation, 81% stayed in 2019 in one of the 727 hotels in the region , while 11% opted for rural accommodation, 4% for apartments and 3.9% for campsites, according to INE.
It is time to go back in time to discover the rock art of the Mediterranean Arc , with more than 70 paintings protected by Unesco distributed by the mountains of Albacete, Guadalajara and Cuenca. As an example of the largest concentration of rock art in Europe is the Abrigo Grande de Minateda , in Hellín (Albacete), with a 16 meter panel made up of 600 motifs. Nor should you miss the Cueva de la Vieja or the Venado de Alpera (in the same province) or the Cuenca complex of Villar de Humo.
The archaeological seal continues with the 10 parks and sites managed by the regional Administration, which accumulated 41,756 visitors in 2019. The parks of Segóbriga (Saelices, Cuenca) stand out, one of the best preserved cities in Roman Hispania; Carranque (Toledo), with a fabulous collection of Roman mosaics; Alarcos-Calatrava (Ciudad Real), whose walls still echo with the echoes of the Reconquest; and Recópolis (Zorita de los Canes, Guadalajara), a vestige of Visigothic culture .
After the pandemic, all have reopened for free (entry is around five euros normally) until the end of the year, as confirmed by Rosa Ana Rodríguez , Minister of Education, Culture and Sports. "We want to value our heritage and be a tourist attraction focus to reactivate the economy and employment in these municipalities," he adds.
Charming corners
In this sense, a campaign is being carried out to revive visits to the heritage of both Unesco enclaves and around thirty historical sites, in addition to 773 Assets of Cultural Interest, to which are added castles, synagogues, cathedrals or museums. The Don Quixote Route cannot be missed on this cultural walk through photogenic plains, whitewashed towns , infinite vineyards, wetlands ... It is the landscape that slips in between the towns cut out by the omnipresent mills of Consuegra, Mota del Cuervo or Campo de Cryptana ; by the white walls of El Toboso , the cradle of Dulcinea; by the Montesinos Cave of Ossa de Montiel; for sales such as Puerto Lapice ...
Along with these essentials, the traveler can search for other enclaves with charm, in addition to the capitals of the five provinces, of which Toledo, crossroads, and Cuenca, always looking out over the gorges of Júcar and Huécar, are two of the only 15 Spanish cities Unesco Heritage. As a sample, localities such as A lcaraz, Letur, Riópar or Alcalá del Júcar appear in Albacete. In Guadalajara, you have to go to Sigüenza (which chooses to join the select group of Unesco), Atienza, Hita, Brihuega, Mondéjar, Pastrana or the towns of Black Architecture .
The route through Cuenca necessarily passes through Alarcón, Uclés, Belmonte or San Clemente, without forgetting the Paleontological Museum of the province. From Ciudad Real, we are left, among others, with Villanueva de los Infantes, Almagro (whose Classic Theater Festival is held until July 26), Puertollano or Campo de Criptana . And already in Toledo, you cannot miss Consuegra, Oropesa, Tembleque or Ocaña.
There is more, since the region hides quite unknown scattered places such as the church of San Juan Bautista in Alarcón (Cuenca), with murals recognized by Unesco; the church of Santa María de Melque in San Martín de Montalbán (Toledo), of Visigothic origin; the hermitage of Santa Coloma in Albendiego (Guadalajara), in the Romanesque style; that of Our Lady of Bethlehem in Liétor (Albacete), with paintings from the 18th century; or the Monastery of Uclés (Cuenca), a Site of Cultural Interest.
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