Don Quixote itinerary in La Mancha

"In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind...": so begins Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes's novel published in 1605 and 1615, considered by many the first modern novel and one of the most translated books in the world. The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance and his squire Sancho Panza ride the dusty roads of La Mancha, the high plateau south of Madrid, among windmills, inns, white villages and fields of wheat and vines that seem to go on forever.

Four centuries later, those landscapes are still there. This six-day itinerary follows in the footsteps of Cervantes and his hero: the writer's birthplace, Alcalá de Henares; Toledo, which he knew well; the windmills of Consuegra and Campo de Criptana that Don Quixote mistook for giants; El Toboso, Dulcinea's village; the Cave of Montesinos at the Lagunas de Ruidera; and the 17th-century theatre of Almagro. It is a slow journey through the least touristy Spain, with Manchego cheese, saffron and wine along the way.

Cervantes and his knight

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born in Alcalá de Henares in 1547 and lived a life worthy of a novel: soldier, wounded in the left hand at the Battle of Lepanto, held captive by pirates in Algiers for five years, tax collector in Andalusia, jailed more than once for debt. He published the first part of Don Quixote at 58, in 1605, and it was an immediate success. He died in Madrid in 1616, a few days before Shakespeare. The novel tells of a minor country nobleman who reads so many books of chivalry that he loses his wits and sets out into the world to right wrongs. It is a parody, an adventure story and a reflection on illusion and reality, and it has inspired writers, painters and musicians in every age. See our pages on Spanish literature and the Spanish classics.

Day 1: Cervantes's Madrid and Alcalá de Henares

In the morning stroll through Madrid's Barrio de las Letras, the quarter where Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Quevedo lived, with quotations from the great writers in bronze letters set into the pavement. On calle Cervantes stands Lope de Vega's house museum, and the Trinitarian convent holds Cervantes's remains; he chose to be buried here. In Plaza de España the great monument to Cervantes has bronze statues of Don Quixote on horseback and Sancho on his donkey in front of it. See the Barrio de las Letras.

In the afternoon go to Alcalá de Henares (about half an hour by train or car), a university town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Museo Casa Natal de Cervantes, a 16th-century house recreated with period furniture and a collection of editions of the novel, and the arcaded calle Mayor. On a bench in front of the house sit statues of Don Quixote and Sancho: the photo everyone takes. Also visit the courtyard of the University, in the College of San Ildefonso, where each year the King presents the Cervantes Prize, the most important literary award in the Spanish language. See Alcalá de Henares.

Where to stay: in Alcalá de Henares or Madrid.

Day 2: Toledo

Pick up the car and drive to Toledo (about an hour and a quarter). Cervantes knew the city and its province well: he married in 1584 in the nearby village of Esquivias, and he set some of his Exemplary Novels in Toledo. In the Quixote, it is in Toledo's Alcaná market that the narrator finds the Arabic notebooks of the story's supposed author, Cide Hamete Benengeli. The city, on a rock ringed by the Tagus, is a maze of lanes between the Gothic cathedral, the synagogues and the mosque of Cristo de la Luz: for centuries Christians, Muslims and Jews lived here. Visit the cathedral, the church of Santo Tomé with El Greco's The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, and the synagogue of Santa María la Blanca. In the evening walk through the floodlit city. See Toledo and what to see in Toledo.

Where to stay: in Toledo.

Day 3: Consuegra and Puerto Lápice

Head south into the real La Mancha (about an hour). At Consuegra, on the Cerro Calderico ridge, twelve white windmills stand in a row beside the castle of La Muela: the image of La Mancha everyone has in mind. Some of the mills can be visited, and one, the Sancho, retains its original 16th-century machinery. In late October Consuegra holds its Saffron Rose Festival, with a flower-stripping contest: La Mancha saffron is among the finest in the world.

In the afternoon drive to Puerto Lápice (half an hour), where tradition places the inn at which Don Quixote had himself knighted by the innkeeper, convinced it was a castle. The Venta del Quijote, an old inn with a courtyard and well, is now a restaurant serving dishes mentioned in the novel, such as duelos y quebrantos, scrambled eggs with bacon and chorizo, and gachas, a porridge of grass-pea flour.

Where to stay: in Campo de Criptana or Alcázar de San Juan, for two nights.

Day 4: Campo de Criptana and El Toboso

Many scholars believe that the windmills Don Quixote charges in the novel's most famous chapter are those of Campo de Criptana. On the Sierra de los Molinos, above the white and blue houses of the Albaicín quarter, stand ten windmills, three of them from the 16th century, called Burleta, Infanto and Sardinero. Some house small museums, and on certain Sundays the sails are set turning. At sunset the view over the plain is unforgettable.

In the afternoon drive to El Toboso (half an hour), the village of Dulcinea, the peasant girl Don Quixote turns into the lady of his dreams. Visit the Casa de Dulcinea, a 16th-century farmhouse with its olive press, cellar and furnished rooms, and the Museo Cervantino, with hundreds of editions of the Quixote in dozens of languages, many signed by heads of state and famous figures. On the way, at Mota del Cuervo, there is another row of windmills.

Day 5: the Lagunas de Ruidera and Almagro

Drive south to the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park (about an hour), a surprise in arid La Mancha: fifteen turquoise lakes linked by waterfalls, among pines and reeds. Here is the Cave of Montesinos, into which Don Quixote is lowered on a rope and from which he emerges telling of marvellous visions. The cave can be visited by appointment. On the way, in Argamasilla de Alba, tradition points to the Casa de Medrano, where Cervantes is said to have been imprisoned and to have begun the novel.

In the afternoon reach Almagro (about an hour), one of the loveliest towns in La Mancha, with a great arcaded square with green windows. Here is the Corral de Comedias, the only 17th-century theatre to survive intact in Spain: a wooden courtyard with galleries where Golden Age plays are still performed. In July Almagro hosts the International Classical Theatre Festival. Also visit the National Theatre Museum. See Ciudad Real and Castilla-La Mancha.

Where to stay: in Almagro, perhaps in the parador, a former convent.

Day 6: back to Madrid

In the morning take a walk in the Tablas de Daimiel national park (half an hour), a protected wetland with waterbirds, or drive straight to Madrid (about two and a quarter hours). If you are flying home, Barajas airport has flights all over Europe; see Madrid Airport.

How much it costs

To save money: La Mancha is one of the cheapest parts of Spain; the lunchtime menú del día costs €12-15 for two courses, bread, wine and dessert. Cervantes's birthplace is free.

Practical information

• Driving: the roads of La Mancha are straight and quiet, and the motorway network is excellent. See getting around Spain.
• Opening hours: in many villages museums close from two to five and on Mondays; check times.
• Heat: in July and August La Mancha often tops 38°C; spring and autumn are better.
• What to eat: sheep's milk Manchego cheese, pisto, migas, pickled Almagro aubergines, lamb caldereta and wine from DO La Mancha, the largest wine region in Europe. See Spanish cuisine and Spanish wine.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card.

Variations

• Cuenca: the town of the hanging houses, an hour and a half from El Toboso, with its museum of abstract art; see Cuenca.
• Villanueva de los Infantes: one of the villages proposed as the "village of La Mancha", where Quevedo died.
• Belmonte Castle: a great 15th-century Gothic-Mudéjar castle on the road to Cuenca.
• By bike: the Ruta de Don Quijote is a green route of over 2,000 kilometres linking the places in the novel, suitable for cycling and hiking.

What to read before you go

The book, of course: Don Quixote, in a good modern translation. For the man, a biography of Cervantes; for the journey, Azorín's La ruta de Don Quijote, written after he retraced the knight's route in 1905. See also the picaresque novel and Lazarillo de Tormes.

Final tips

• Pace: La Mancha is not for rushing; stop in the village squares for a glass of wine at aperitif time.
• Combinations: from Toledo you can link up with the castles of Castile itinerary.
• A tip: climb to the Campo de Criptana windmills at sunset with the book in your pocket and read chapter VIII of Part One: you will feel the wind that turned those "giant" sails.

See also our other itineraries in Spain.

La Mancha on the map

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