The best road cycling routes around Villanueva De San Carlos

This castle stands on the impressive Alacranejo hill and, despite its original defensive character, it underwent various modifications. Opposite it there is another hill with the ruins of the Salvatierra Castle, in the lands of Calzada de Calatrava. It probably has Arab origins, but it was deeply remodeled with the transfer of the knights of the Order from the Castle of Calatrava La Vieja (Carrión de Calatrava) in 1217, after the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa with the aim of consolidating the defensive line of Sierra Morena. In turn, it is made up of three walled enclosures and is accessed by the original road that was built on the occasion of the visit of Philip II through the Iron Gate, in red volcanic stone. Afterwards, we can find the Gate of the Arches, which allows entry into the parlatorio or courtyard of the convent, the courtyards, the church, the rooms and the refectory. Really, when you walk through it, you can imagine what happened in

In the heart of the Sierra Morena region we find the very ancient municipality of Santa Cruz de Mudela, born from the medieval repopulations carried out by King Alfonso VIII after his victory against the Almohads in Las Navas de Tolosa. 76 km from its capital, it proudly shows its most beautiful buildings to locals and strangers, among which the church of the Assumption, the palace-house of Carlos Ortega and the hermitage of the Virtues, among others, stand out.

This church, which dates back to the 17th century, preserves the typical structure of the area, maintaining an exterior uniformity that coincides with the majority of religious temples. It is worth visiting.

Impressive castle and church which is located on top of a hill and which can also be seen from afar. The views of both the castle and the panorama it offers are brutal!

The water reserves in the Vega del Jabalón reservoir, one of the two that is already considered a dead reservoir, are practically nil. This swamp, which can store 33.54 cubic hectometres (hm3), currently has only 0.2 hm3, which is below the cubic hectometre, which is the minimum exploitation level set by the CHG.

From this point and on the hill, from afar you can observe the majestic walls that can be seen on what is called Alto de Calatrava.

This hermitage is believed to have been founded at the beginning of the 17th century, as a sign of the great faith and devotion of its citizens towards the Holy Trinity, demonstrated through wills, memory foundations and chaplaincies, always including the same phrase "in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons, one true God". Hermitage located on the road to Sta. Cruz de Mudela. It was run and assisted by the Trinitarian fathers, who in turn depended on the convent of the Holy Trinity in the town of Membrilla. During the 19th century it was forgotten and left in a dilapidated state. Don Santiago Julio Maldonado y Maldonado-Cisneros, law graduate, natural and resident of the town, in his will when he died on December 10, 1886, ordered that the Hermitage of the Santísima Trinidad y San Antón be rebuilt at his expense, where the mortal remains of the testate, of his deceased parents (D. Santiago Maldonado Treviño and Dª María Antonia Maldonado Cisneros), of his wife (Dª Pilar Forcallo y Morales) and other successors in the board of trustees, ordered the construction of a building immediately next to the Hermitage of San Antón (Santísima Trinidad), which will have the shape and proportions of the plan, whose building would be used as a Hospital for the poor, and the family designated by their heirs must reside in it, in order to attend to its conservation and cleaning and whose family should be natural and neighbor of the Villa.

The hermitage of El Salvador del Mundo is from the 16th century, although it underwent a reconstruction from the year 1760 conserving the same Latin cross plan. Its interior consists of a single nave and transept open by a dome. The very venerable image of the Savior of the World, patron saint of the town, is preserved inside. Located outside the walls on the road to Granátula and Almagro, it was possibly built during the first decades of the 16th century, since the general visitors on their visit to the town in 1549 ordered that a door with a lock be built at the entrance of the the hermitage within four months, as well as a walled chapel. Burned down around the year 1657, it remained with the same structure, making minimal repairs to the roof and whitewashing with lime.