EVENT: Sightseeing in Spain: Toledo, Cuenca, Talaverna de La Reina, Trujillo, Don Quixote Mills, Belmonte, Campo de Criptana, Consuegra and Monte Calderico

DATE OF REALISATION: 25 to 29 October 2025

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 31 JULY 2025

EVENT DESCRIPTION: "Walking in Spain: Toledo, Cuenca, Talaverna de La Reina, Trujillo, D. Quixote Mills, Belmonte, Campo de Criptana, Consuegra and Monte Calderico"

In this activity proposal, we'll walk around and visit some of the most fabulous places in the region of Castilla La Mancha. Our journey will take in Talaverna de La Reina, Toledo, Cuenca, Belmonte Castle, Don Quixote's Mills, Campo de Criptana and Consuegra, as well as a visit to the medieval town of Trujillo. It will be five days of beautiful scenery and strong emotions to remember for a long time. Come with us!

These will be some of the most important places on our itinerary: 

• Tour of Talaverna de La Reina (Alameda Park and Lake with its beautiful bridges, NS do Prado Basilica and Gardens, Bread Square, St Jerome's Square, Santa Maria Mayor Church, Arab Walls, Roman Bridge and the Tagus riverside)
• Tour of Toledo (monumental route, with guided tour). You can visit the Cathedral and Historic Centre, as well as walk along the natural promenade by the River Tagus. You can buy entry to 7 of Toledo's monuments for €14, including the Synagogue of Santa Maria, the White Church, the Monastery of St John of the Kings, among others.
• Tour of Cuenca (monumental route, with guided tour). You can visit the Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites, the walls, San Pablo Bridge, Casas Colgadas (hanging houses), San Martin neighbourhood, Mangana Tower, walkways along the River Júcar and River Huécar, etc.
• Visit to the Gothic-Mudejar style Belmonte Castle, located in the middle of the "D. Quixote route".
• A walk in Campo de Criptana, known for its 10 windmills, three of which date back to the 16th century, is an obligatory stop on the D. Quixote Route.
• Tour of Consuegra, Monte Caldérico, the 12 Mills that inspired Miguel de Cervantes and La Muela Castle (visit not included)
• Visit to the medieval town of Trujillo. Possibility of visiting the Castle, Plaza Mayor and historic centre
• Natural landscapes

TIME: Departure from Lisbon at 6.30am
RETURN: Arrival in Lisbon at 8.30pm

Talaverna de la Reina

Talavera de la Reina is famous for its ceramics industry and is the main town in the province of Toledo. The highlights of our visit to the city are the Alameda Park, with its lakes and bridges, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Prado and the gardens. Also worth a visit are the Bread Square, the Church of Santa Maria Maior, the Arab Walls and the entire riverside area of the Tagus, next to the Roman bridge.

Toledo

A day in Toledo doesn't sound like much, but how many people only spend a few hours there? We guarantee you a full day. The famous "city of three cultures". The historic centre, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is fascinating, among other reasons because it retains exactly the same layout as it had in the Middle Ages. Wandering through its narrow streets reveals an incredible monumental complex full of life, both inside and out, where you can see a Gothic cathedral, a 10th century mosque and two synagogues within a few metres. Toledo is one of the oldest and most unique fortified cities in Spain. It was the capital of the Visigoth kingdom and even the capital of Spain before Madrid and its contribution to Spanish history is invaluable.

Cuenca

The city that rises above the Júcar River, hanging from the wall that supports it, is a World Heritage Site. Cuenca is a city that makes you vulnerable to its splendour and beauty. The Hanging Houses of Cuenca - Collaged Houses - are the symbol of the city and their name comes from their large balconies overlooking the Huécar River gorge. Even the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art is located in one of these houses. The Cathedral of Santa María and San Julián de Cuenca, predominantly Gothic but with Romanesque and neo-Gothic elements, is another must-see, both for its main façade, overlooking the Plaza Mayor, and for its interior. In addition to the gorge where it is located, its well-kept streets and neighbourhoods, and the waterways that surround it, we will have spectacular landscapes to record in our memories!

Belmonte Castle

Belmonte Castle is a fortress palace or fortified residence built in 1456 in the Gothic-Mudejar style and is the work of Master Hanequin de Bruselas. It was built on the hill of San Cristóbal with a single storey. The courtyard is an equilateral triangle and the rest of the building develops from it. The shape of the castle is a six-pointed star, with a cylindrical tower on each one. At its feet is the town of Belmomte.

Cryptan Field

Known for being the birthplace of Sara Montiel and for its 10 windmills, three of which date back to the 16th century, Campo de Criptana is an obligatory stop on the D. Quixote Route and here we will have the opportunity to stroll between the various windmills and the enchanting views over Campo de Criptana.

Consuegra, Monte Calderico (Moinhos de Vento) and Castelo

Windmills like these in Consuegra are the ones that inspired Miguel de Cervantes to write the famous episode of the fight with the giants in his "Don Quixote of La Mancha".

Calderico Hill is a rocky outcrop that rises above the plain of La Mancha. It is home to the castle of La Muela or Consuegra, of Muslim origin but modified and enlarged during the 12th century by the Order of St John of Jerusalem. It consists of three defensive enclosures and has been restored in recent decades. But this hill is known above all because twelve of its thirteen traditional windmills remain, all of them baptised with names taken from the immortal novel Don Quixote. Four of them still have their machinery in good condition. Of particular note is the 16th century Sancho Mill, the scene of the Rosa del Azafrán festival in Consuegra.

The Spanish region of Castilla La Mancha, where Consuegra Castle is located, is full of interesting stories and also has many other castles. This Autonomous Community is the setting for Miguel de Cervantes' famous Don Quixote, who in one passage of the book fought a "battle with the Windmills" because he thought they were giants and their blades were swords.

Medieval Village of Trujillo

Trujillo, located between the floodplains of the Tagus and Guadiana rivers, has an important collection of churches, castles and palaces that are structured around its Plaza Mayor and have been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.

But this city in the province of Cáceres has also left an important mark on history, since in the 16th century it was the birthplace of illustrious figures linked to the discovery of America. For this reason, Trujillo is on the Route of the Conquerors, which runs through other towns in Extremadura such as Medellín, Villanueva de la Serena and Jerez de los Caballeros. The Monfragüe National Park, one of Extremadura's most important protected areas, extends a few kilometres north of Trujillo to offer an interesting landscape of forests, pastures and reservoirs

The castle is in the highest part of Trujillo. It was built in the 13th century on top of an old Arab fortress from the 9th or 10th centuries. It retains the square towers typical of Islamic military architecture. It is built of masonry and mortar and consists of two parts, the Patio de Armas and the Albacar.
Today it is a symbol of an open and sociable city and has become one of the most visited cities in Extremadura, having been chosen for several years to host the Extremadura Day celebrations, the regional festival of Autonomy

25th October (Saturday)

- 6h30 - Departure from Lisbon
- 13h30 - Free lunch in Talavera de La Reina
- 14h15 - Tour of Talavera de La Reina
- 16h30 - Departure for Toledo
- 18h00 - Accommodation and Dinner

26th October (Sunday)

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h15 - Departure for Toledo city tour - Guided tour and optional visit to Toledo Cathedral
- 12h30 - Free time for lunch
- 14h00 - Tour / Visits to various monuments in Toledo according to each participant's preference / Walk along the ramparts and riverside path along the River Tagus
- 19h00 - Accommodation and Dinner

27th October (Monday)

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h15 - Departure to visit the monumental city of Cuenca
- 11h30 - Guided tour of Cuenca
- 13h30 - Free time for lunch
- 15h - Walk around Cuenca's tourist attractions - walkways, Castle, San Pablo Bridge. Possibility of visiting the Cathedral and other monuments
- 17h - Departure for Toledo
- 19h30 - Accommodation and Dinner

28 October (Tuesday)

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h15 - Departure for Belmonte
- 11h30 - Visit to Belmonte Castle
- 13h - Visit to the Campo de Criptana Mills
- 14h - Lunch in Campo de Criptana
- 15h30- Exit to Consuegra
- 16h30- Visit to Consuegra, Monte Calderico, Windmills and Castle (optional)
- 18h30 - Departure for Toledo
- 19h30 - Accommodation and Dinner

29 October (Wednesday)

- 8h00 - Breakfast at the hotel
- 9h00 - Departure for Trujillo
- 11h30 - Guided tour of Trujillo (historic centre and castle - visit not included)
- 13h30 - Free lunch
- 15h - Departure for Lisbon
- 20h - Estimated time of arrival in Lisbon

Equipment: Footwear and clothing suitable for walking / and short hikes

Registration fee:

Price includes:

- Bus transport from Lisbon to each of the locations described above
- Transport to the locations of each walk and accommodation
- 3 nights' accommodation in a 4-star hotel with buffet breakfast
- 3 dinners (drinks, water and wine included)
- Guided tours of Toledo, Cuenca, Belmonte Castle and Consuegra Mills on Mount Calderico
- Guided tours of Talaverna de La Reina and Trujillo (possibility of visiting the castle)
- The proposed accommodation option includes various room types
- Guided Walks
- Compulsory insurance

675€ (Price per person in a double room)
800€ (Price per person in single room)
Entry fee for seat reservation: 50€

Prices valid until 15th July 2025. From dai  the amounts are 700€ and 825€ respectively

Notes: 

a) Registrations are limited and accommodation options are limited to availability at the time of booking.

b) If you have a group interested in this trip, contact us, we have personalised solutions.