The best gravel rides around El Toboso

Alcázar de San Juan is one of the most interesting destinations in the heart of La Mancha, with a blend of history, heritage, nature, and Cervantine traditions. Its name comes from the Military Order of Saint John, which dominated the area after the Reconquista. It claims to be the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, as the baptismal font where, according to some studies, the writer was baptized is preserved in the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor. It was an important railway junction and economic center in the 19th and 20th centuries, which shaped its urban development.

The Church of Santa Quiteria in Alcázar de San Juan (Ciudad Real) is one of the town's most important churches, boasting a rich history and significant architectural value. Origin: Construction began in the second half of the 16th century based on plans by Juan de Herrera, the architect of El Escorial. Execution: The work was directed by Agustín Argüello and completed by Bartolomé Elorriaga in 1604. Style: Renaissance with classical elements.

Return to the town of Campo de Criptana

This is the Convent of Poor Clare Franciscan Nuns, founded in 1515 and converted into a convent in 1546. It follows the Rule of Saint Francis and is dedicated to the Conception of Our Lady. Although renovated in the 20th century, it retains its original Renaissance façade. The nuns lead a contemplative life and support themselves by making artisanal sweets, such as the town's famous "pelusas." Hours for purchasing monastic pastries: in the winter, Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. In the summer, Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m.

The statue of Don Quixote and Dulcinea in El Toboso is one of the town's most emblematic monuments, deeply linked to the Cervantes universe. It stands in the main square of El Toboso, dedicated to Juan Carlos I, in the heart of the town. The sculptures are made of sheet iron, not cast iron, giving them a handcrafted and robust appearance.

This convent belongs to the Clarisse Sisters. The most notable feature is the church door, built in 1670 and today the only element that remains from the original construction. Its origins date back to 1515, when there was a house of Beatas as a hermitage, which later, in 1546, was converted and founded as a Franciscan Monastery by Don Antón Martínez, a cleric from this town. In the Relations of Felipe II, from 1575, this place is already mentioned as a monastery of beatas, subject to the Order of San Francisco, called La Sentencia, dedicated to the Conception of Our Lady. Currently, all the dependencies of the convent are reconstructions of the old ones, including the church, since from the original Church of the convent only the first section of the vault, in simple baroque style, remains; The rest of the main factory is modernist, the result of the extensive reconstruction carried out between 1973 and 1976. The nuns who live there live in a cloistered setting and are dedicated to the artisanal production of sweets.

Public fountain on the road very close to the sanctuary of Nuestra Sra de Criptana

It is a very austere construction that dates back to the 17th century during the Austrian period. It has a single nave and a considerable height whose foundations rest on a previous construction that dates back to approximately the 13th century.