Chasing Windmills: A Road Trip Through La Mancha

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campo de criptana molino windmill quijote quijote la mancha ciudad real

Something you probably don’t know about me is that I’m 50% Manchego (yes, like the cheese) on my father’s side and I visit the Spanish region of La Mancha at least once a year. During Holy Week (our Spring break) we chased Don Quixote across the Spanish plains of La Mancha. The two most well-known things about this region are Don Quixote and Manchego cheese. Four centuries after the publication of El Quixote, the adventures of the most famous knight-errant, his loyal squire Sancho Panza and his lady Dulcinea are still alive in the towns and villages of La Mancha. Just as famous are the historic white windmills which Don Quixote fought in one of his adventures thinking they were giants.

Today I want to show you some of the most representative places in La Mancha, its beautiful villages and traditional cuisine.

puerto lapice ciudad real venta quijote quixote la mancha

PUERTO LAPICE
Our first stop in our road trip through La Mancha was Puerto Lapice. In this village, named specifically in El Quijote, you can find the famous inn, Venta del Quijote, which Don Quixote mistook for a castle and the inn keeper pretended to make him a knight. Nowadays it’s a popular restaurant and has a small museum with beautiful illustrations of El Quijote made by artists from all around the world. A hidden gem.

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puerto lapice ciudad real venta quijote quixote la mancha
puerto lapice ciudad real venta quijote quixote la mancha
puerto lapice ciudad real venta quijote quixote la mancha

Many houses in La Mancha are painted white and indigo blue which is not a coincidence. This region gets temperatures over 40ºC (100º F) most summer days, white reflect light so it keeps houses cooler on scorching days. Indigo on the base is a Mediterranean influence. It protects the base from splashes or brushes. Also, back in the day many painted their doors or windows this shade of blue to banish the devil. Finally, indigo has been used to mark the houses where young women that were of courting age lived.

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ALMAGRO
Considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, Almagro was a very important place in the 15th and 16th centuries. The highlight of Almagro is its Plaza Mayor with its green framed window buildings. On one side of the square is the Corral de Comedias, a 16th century open air theater, the only one in Spain of this period. Every summer in July there is a festival where you can watch plays from the 16th and 17th Spanish theater. If you walk around Almagro you’ll also find grand houses like the Maestri palace, and the place of the Counts of Valparaiso which are architectural marvels.
The best place to stay in Almagro is El Parador, a former convent turned into a hotel. If you go during Easter you can watch religious processions and the parade of  Los Armaos which represent troops of the Roman Empire during Holy Week. parador hotel almagro ciudad real la mancha
parador hotel almagro ciudad real la mancha
parador hotel almagro ciudad real la mancha
almagro ciudad real la mancha
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almagro ciudad real la mancha
almagro ciudad real la mancha
almagro ciudad real la mancha armaos semana santa
almagro ciudad real la mancha corral de comedias

CAMPO DE CRIPTANA
This town is crowned by wonderfully preserved 16th century windmills visible from kilometers away. The purpose of windmills is to grind grain into flour by using the power of wind. For a few euros you can visit some of them and a guide will explain how they work. It’s actually really interesting. In a nutshell, the leaning pole outside of the windmill is used to turn the roof in the direction of the wind so the blades start moving and the machinery starts working. Needless to say this place is really windy so don’t bother bringing a hat!

campo de criptana molino windmill quijote quijote la mancha ciudad real
campo de criptana molino windmill quijote quijote la mancha ciudad real
campo de criptana molino windmill quijote quijote la mancha ciudad real
campo de criptana molino windmill quijote quijote la mancha ciudad real
campo de criptana molino windmill quijote quijote la mancha ciudad real
TYPICAL FOOD
I’ve already mentioned cheese as the most famous food in La Mancha, but there are plenty of traditional dishes worth naming. On our last day we went to a typical food restaurant aptly called La Mancha in Alcazar de San Juan.
First, we had this appetizer which looks like a nest and then for starters we had a few of the most typical dishes of the region. typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain
Migas (bread crumbs), is probably the best known and most beloved typical dish of La Mancha. Sometimes called migas de pastor (shepherd’s bread crumbs), it was originally a pastoral dish. It was created to make the best of the bread’s leftovers. Basically, you soak the crumbs in water and fry them in a skillet with garlic and small slices of pork called torreznos. They are best paired with grapes, because the contrast of sweet and savory is so good!typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain migas uvas bread crumbs

Gachas which is similar to porridge. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt. Long time ago it was considered a rural dish because, like migas, it was cooked by shepherds and it’s ingredients and methods are rather “unrefined”.

typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain gachas

Asadillo is made with roasted red peppers, cut into pieces and with a bit of plain tomato sauce to bind the peppers, then sprinkled with mashed garlic and cumin seeds. It’s basically a hearty pepper and tomato salad.

typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain asadillo

Tiznao means “dirty with ashes and slightly burnt” and it’s also the name of this singular dish. It consist of salt cod (not desalted before used) with veggies such as potato, red pepper, garlic and onions which are grilled until the are slightly charred over a charcoal fire.

tiznao typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain

As the main dish with had a variety of fish and meat.

typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain

And finished with some decadent desserts such as carrot cake and cheesecake.

typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain carrot cake pastel zanahoria
typical food comida tipica restaurante la mancha alcazar de san juan ciudad real spain tarta de queso

WATCHING A PLAY AT CORRAL DE COMEDIAS IN ALMAGRO
On our last night in La Mancha we want back to the picturesque village of Almagro to watch a play at Corral de Comedias.

almagro ciudad real la mancha corral de comedias venganza don mendo

If you want to read more about La Mancha or want to try one of their traditional recipes, you should check out these posts:
In Search of Don Quixote
Somewhere in La Mancha: Almagro
How to make Spanish pastries: perrunas
xo Cristina

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0 thoughts on “Chasing Windmills: A Road Trip Through La Mancha”

  2. Kelleyn Rothaermel

    Gorgeous! La Mancha was never on my list of places to visit, but now I want to see more. I really want to go to Seville.

    Reply
  3. angela

    This looks like an amazing trip!! The windmills and the pops of white and blue within the city were so pretty. The food looks really good too. Can't wait to check out your pastry recipes too!!

    Reply
  7. CathyLynchLawdanski

    What a beautiful place – the architecture, the blue & white, the windmills! And the food looks fabulous. Thanks for introducing me to a place that I didn't know about!

    Reply
  10. Taste of France

    Fantastic photos–from the architecture to the food!
    I started reading "Don Quixote," mostly out of guilt, and was surprised by how funny and lively it is. A great read!

    Reply
  11. Maureen O

    This is such a great location to visit. There are a lot of attractions to see and the food of course looks delicious! Beautiful photos Cristina. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and here's to a great start of the week!

    Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com

    Reply
  12. Amy

    Ooh, this looks amazing!! What a rich heritage you have. I love all the architecture, the festive colors, and the food…wowzers, the food!!!

    Reply
  13. Sarah Poeppe

    Spain is on my bucket list! I was suppose to have a layover there but missed the flight – long story! Now I have a new City I can add to my bucket list! What a spectacular trip!

    Reply
  22. Ruth Rieckehoff

    Oh my gosh, these places are so lovely. I definitely need to see more of Spain. The food looks so good. It is the first time I here about some of the dishes you mentioned. Now I am intrigued!

    Reply
  23. Patricia @ Grab a Plate

    Wonderful! I enjoyed getting to know La Mancha a bit through your gorgeous photos and info! How wonderful you can visit annually!

    Reply
  24. Brittney Kubicki

    It looks beautiful! I love the colors and architecture! And Manchego is my favorite cheese- as well as my 5 year old's!

    Reply
  25. Erin Gustafson

    I adore those white windmills and the food looks amazing. Thank you for sharing the beautiful details of where your family is from, La Mancha and surrounds looks stunning. Would love to explore more Spain! #FarawayFiles

    Reply
  26. Hilary

    We drove through this area a few years ago, and loved it! The truth is we love everything about Spain, and seeing your photos makes me want to book the next flight… Thank you for sharing on #farawayfiles

    Reply
  36. Sharon Glascoe

    Wow! This looks like an amazing trip full of fun and lots of delicious food. I want to try all those dishes ASAP.

    Reply
  39. Corey at fifi + hop

    So interesting about the history of Indigo – I had no idea but was always wondering about the color combination. La Mancha sounds like a special place. I spent 8 months in Spain and love the country – wish I had made it that way. Thanks for linking up with #farawayfiles

    Reply
  45. Cristina

    You must go to Seville! In my opinion, it's the most beautiful city in Spain. If you search "Seville" on the blog you will found a couple city guides that I'm sure you'd like

    Reply
  59. Melissa

    This place looks unreal, so beautiful! I never knew why those houses are those colors, who would of thought its to make the inside cooler! All the food looks delicious!!

    xo
    Mel

    Reply

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