Castilla - La Mancha

Castilla - La Mancha, or "new Castilla," encompasses a wide plateau, with farms and ranches on the flat land, vineyards and sheep in the mountainous areas. Small villages dot the landscape, made famous in the great adventure story, Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, who was born in Alcala de Henares.


Toledo
Windmills of La Mancha - You can't pass through La Mancha without a detour to visit the windmills. The best spot is Campo de Criptana (near Alcazar de San Juan). Tour the inside of a windmill, named Infanto, where kids can see the gears, wheels and grinding stones up close. The first Sunday of each month, the restored windmill Sardinero, grinds flour. Other mills have been turned into museums - in the windmill Garcilaso Inca, there's a Museum of Farming with traditional tools.