Owners direct in Castile Le Mancha

When in your villas OWNERS DIRECT with your sights on the more intriguing places to visit, consider Castile la Mancha as one of those places with so much to see and do. It is south of Madrid and the very centre of the Iberian Peninsula, encompassing the ancient Spanish capital of Toledo. There are many things to see and do when visiting Castilla la Mancha from the hanging houses of Cuenca to Albacete and its wine. Castile La Mancha is made up of five provinces: Toledo, Ciudad Real, Guadalajara, Cuenca and Albacete. It’s an expansive plain that was rconquered by the Castile kingdom from the Muslims during the middle ages. Surrounded by mountain landscapes of the Montes de Toledo, Conquensa and Alcaraz mountains, crossing the region are some of Spain's larger rivers Tajo and Guadiana.

Castile Le Mancha has three national parks and many areas are little known with wildlife like the deer, roe deer, and golden eagles all roaming free. Visit places of natural beauty with outstanding scenic views where some of this fabulous wildlife can be seen like the Ruidera Lagoons, High Tajo, the Tables of Daimiel, the Cabaneros and the Cabriel narrow passes. It has a Mediterranean climate and little rain with low temperatures in winter and hot and sunny during the summer months. For something different for the tourist who enjoys learning about culture or rural tourism follow the route of the black towns or the tourist route of Quixote.

There are plenty of towns and villages and each one unique. Almagro is home of an open air theatre, the “Corral de las Comedias” where thousands come to watch plays from the 16th and 17th century. The town of Ocana is surrounded by ruined walls and inside a medieval castle resides. Other things to see are the ancient Roman springs or the 16th century Great Spring, the convent of Carmelites and the Palacio de los Cardenas. Visit Sigüenza and reserve a room at the 5th century castle that the Moors strengthened in 712 until Fernando I retook it during the reconquest. El Cid then converted it to a bishop's palace and it is now a luxury Parador Hotel modernised for comfortable living.

Another place to visit is the hanging houses of Cuenca: groups of houses hanging precariously over Huecar river gorge. Built during the 15th century, they are the last remaining houses of this type and at one time were a common sight in the town. Currently there is a restaurant and a museum of abstract arts. Just 36 kilometres from Cuenca there is the enchanted city, a landscape of eroded limestone rocks with many fantastic formations and just as fascinating names. It was declared a Natural Site of National Interest in 1929. A wish by the second Duke of Infantado became the Palace of Infantado in Guadalajara. Built in the 15th century, one masterpiece that needs to be seen by any tourist.

What is incredible about Castilla la Mancha is that it is truly multi cultural, all things considered. During medieval times Toledo was the capital. Three centuries of Muslim rule saw the coexistence between three religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Even today the period is often referred to as the Golden Age. After the conquest of Spain, Alfonso VI shocked by the wealth of culture, maintained the cities training centres. The School of Translators of Toledo was instituted by Alfonso X where Muslims, Jews and Christians have kept alive the classic and cultural differences yet are working together. Just to visit the wonderful sights OWNERS DIRECT have certainly the best opportunities.