Don Quixote Gastronomic Route

Don Quixote Gastronomic Route

3 days- 2 nights : Campo de Criptana, Belmonte, Cuenca

Minimum number of participants: 12 (for smaller groups, please consult)

Available all year round subject to availability

Who has not heard of the Ruta del Quijote? The masterpiece of Spanish literature, Don Quixote, has made the countryside and villages of Castilla-La Mancha known worldwide. For this reason, traveling through this land as the ingenious nobleman did is one of the best ways to discover this community, crossing the centenary villages, the historical roads and the natural spaces that Miguel de Cervantes described so well in his famous novel.

One of the highlights of the trip is found in the lands of Ciudad Real: Campo de Criptana. This town enjoys the most famous image of La Mancha thanks to the centenary windmills located on the hill overlooking the neighborhood, against which Don Quixote fought in one of the most famous passages of the novel.

Would you like to try the famous Duels and Sorrows (scrambled eggs with chorizo and lamb brains?

Do you want to know the secrets about the production of a good manchego cheese in the town of sweet Dulcinea?

And to know the properties and taste a good olive oil and wine from La Mancha ?

We follow the road to Belmonte, not only known for being the birthplace of the poet Fray Luis de León, but also for its impressive fortress of the fifteenth century. Its old town has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.

And to finish the wonderful Watershed, UNESCO World Heritage Site for its wealth of monuments. Its historic center unfolds on the edge of rocky walls, in the middle of the mountains of Cuenca. The Cathedral, the Hanging Houses and cobblestone streets will captivate even the most seasoned traveler.

Itinerary

B- breakfast L- lunch D-dinner

1st DAY L/D- Oil, mills and Manchego cheese

• Departure from Madrid by private bus. Just 1 hour from Madrid, in the town of Villatobas, Toledo, you will find the olive mill, a centenary company founded in 1899. Visit to the mill and olive trees, explanation of the whole process and guided tasting of extra virgin olive oil.
• Lunch in a cave restaurant, specialties of the region. Cave-dwelling of the XVI century. .
• In the afternoon, guided visit to the windmills: Windmills “Infante” or “Burleta”: from the XVI century, declared of Cultural Interest. Inside you can see the mechanism and machinery of an authentic Manchego windmill.
• Finally, visit in Tomelloso, a cheese factory with 25 years of history that continues to produce its cheeses with the methods of yesteryear, tasting 3 of its cheeses with local wines.
• Check in charming spa hotel in Belmonte. Old renovated convent. Dinner.

2nd DAY B/L/D - Castles and wines

• Buffet breakfast
• We will discover for half a day the impressive town of Belmonte, a historic-artistic site, with a guided tour of the castle, built in the mid-fifteenth century and the wonderful historic center of the town that retains the charm and character of its glorious past, evoking the figures of great writers and illustrious figures in the history of Spain.
• Departure by bus to a modern winery where they will explain the whole process from its viewpoint overlooking the vineyards, we will visit the facilities and enjoy a guided tasting of 3 of their prized wines.
• We will finish with a meal in their gastronomic space, based on a varied barbecue prepared with the aroma of rosemary and vine shoots, accompanied, of course, by their best wines.
• Departure to the heart of the Natural Park of the Serranía de Cuenca and surrounded by immense pine forests, the Enchanted City is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular places in our country, where you can learn about the geological process of karst and admire its whimsical formations.
• Check in at a charming hotel in Cuenca. Dinner.

DAY 3 B/L/D - Cuenca

• Buffet breakfast
• Panoramic tour of the Hoz del Huécar, parallel to the river that begins to rise to the top of the city, the neighborhood of the Castle. There we started the visit walking. We enjoy the viewpoints and streets of the historic center telling the history, legends and anecdotes of Cuenca, ending next to the Hanging Houses and the bridge of San Pablo, in front of the Parador. In the middle of the tour we visit the majestic Cathedral.
• Lunch at a prestigious restaurant
• Return by bus to Madrid.

Culinary Spain wishes you a safe return trip.

Includes

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

• Private transportation by comfort bus throughout the itinerary
• Tourleader/guide during the entire route.
• 2 nights accommodation with buffet breakfast, in selected charming and centrally located 3 and 4* hotels in standard double room.
• Breakfast
• 3 meals including a bottle of wine for every two people and water.
• 2 dinners at the hotel.
• Cultural visits with official guides in :

1. Campo de Criptana with entrance to the mill and museum included.
2. Belmonte with castle entrance included
3. Enchanted City
4. Cuenca with entrance to the cathedral included

• Guided gastronomic tours and tasting at:

1. Oil mill with oil tasting
2. Cheese shop with cheese and wine tasting
3. Wine cellar with wine tasting.

• Local taxes

IMPORTANT:

• The menus are not à la carte but fixed in advance by us. They include a bottle of wine for every two people or water. Any extra drinks are at the client's expense. If you are allergic or can not take any food or have any dietary restrictions, please let us know when making the reservation. Thank you
• The order of days in the itinerary or schedule of activities can be modified by Culinary Spain. The client will receive the confirmed itinerary prior to the trip.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Extra drinks or extra bottles of wine or unspecified meals
• Personal expenses or tips
• Travel insurance (optional)

More information

For prices and availability, reservations or more information, please do not hesitate to contact us: contact us at.