Contact with nature always makes our body go into a deep relaxation. It is one of the best ways to clear your mind to enjoy what is truly important. For all this, today we visit the Ruidera lagoons, a natural and protected park in Castilla-La Mancha.
This park is spread over several areas such as Ruidera, Alhambra, Argamasilla de Alba or Ossa de Montiel. All of them are forming the 16 lagoons with different heights and with waterfalls as well as unique spaces. If you want to visit a key environment, do not miss what the Ruidera lagoons offer you.
How to get to the Ruidera lagoons
This park It is located between Ciudad Real and Albacete. To give you an idea, we give you the following references to prepare your trip: From Madrid to this destination you have a two-hour journey. While from Ciudad Real it will take you less than an hour to get there. The same thing happens if you leave from Albacete, while from Valencia it will be approximately two and a half hours.
After knowing the distance, you can take the road to Andalucía, A-4 if you come from Madrid. You will take the detour at the height of Manzanares, along the N-430 that goes towards Albacete. Of course, if you come from Albacete, you can take the N-430. As simple as that!.
What will we see in the park
It must be said that this park is several kilometers long and all of them with impressive views. Broadly speaking, we will tell you that there you will find one of the most impressive landscapes. On the one hand, the flora will surprise you, since it has native formations. Holm oaks and bushes they will cover a good part of the place. But we must also highlight the fauna, among which we can find more than 200 different species. Mammals and birds will be present at every step.
A key environment to soak up nature! Although it must be mentioned that once there, you cannot leave without visiting the 'Cueva de Montesinos'. But yes, you have to request an authorization to be able to pass. It will be at the Reception Center where you should ask. For those who do not know, this cave appeared in the literature by the hand of Cervantes. Since his great Don Quixote de la Mancha spent one night there.
Tourist routes through the Ruidera lagoons
This area also gives us the option of perform a series of routes. As we have mentioned, again the world of literature and fantasy come together. They will create a perfect setting for us to get carried away by these corners of a thousand adventures. What kind of routes can we carry out?
Literary route
One of the most requested. This comprises the 'Cave of Montesinos' which is 80 meters deep. There are numerous stones at the entrance and we will also observe a small river in its central part. As we have said, it is one of the main literary points. This route also takes us to 'Castle of Rochafrida', next to the Alarconcillo river and it is said that its origin comes from the Muslim era. It has also been present in various poems. Finally we will finish the route in the 'Hermitage of San Pedro'. We will find it next to the path that goes from Ossa to the lagoons. Quite old finds were found there. This route has a distance of two kilometers.
The ethnographic route
In this case, we will start from church of 'Santa Magdalena' dating from the 4th century. A little further down from the church, we will find an information center. Right there and on the right we will go towards a kind of house that houses the so-called 'Picota', but you have to ask permission to enter. Finally, this route will take us to the 'Ethnographic Museum'. In it you will see a journey through the culture, as well as the customs of the area and the people of yesteryear. They are a total of XNUMX kilometers.
Route of the Hazadillas
On this route, the departure will be from the old Santa Ana power station. It is very close to the lagoon, 'La colgada'. We will pass through a stream and we will see how a tobaceous barrier is the one that separates both 'La colgada', and the 'Batana' lagoon. Then, we will reach the top of a hill that is known as the 'Almendral Table'. From there we can get stunning views of the entire place. Finally, we will continue the road to Hazadillas. We are talking about a 5 kilometer route.
Route of the cross of the nuns
We have about 6 kilometers ahead and we will start from the 'Hermitage of San Pedro'. After it, we will cross the Alarconcillo river bridge and we will see the ruins of an old mill. To your right you will see a large walnut tree or 'Noguera de San Pedro'. We will also climb the hill and from there, other spectacular views await us. On the way we are going to find a wooden cross and that will be the 'Cross of the nuns'. Finally, we will arrive at the Tinaja lagoon, which is 700 meters long and more than 250 meters wide.
Other activities to carry out in the lagoons
Although hiking trails and getting lost in a natural area like this are the main activities, there are others as well. Because you can take advantage of the time in the Ruidera lagoons, in the best possible way. You can go scuba diving and enjoy the connection between lagoons thanks to the caves. Of course, the kayak also becomes the protagonist like the bicycle. You can rent them and enjoy a more interesting ride.
The viewpoints of the Ruidera lagoons
To enjoy the entire lagoon area, from a privileged point, we have viewpoints. You cannot miss them either, although some of the aforementioned routes will show you great scenarios. It has two main ones: one to the right of the place and the other, to the left. You will see the first of them if you take one road before Ruidera which is on the right. You will pass the bridge and you will see a restaurant. There you will find the viewpoint, but also areas where you can rent a kayak or enjoy a delicious plate of food in its restaurants.
For the left part, you will access thanks to a path. This will be at the height of the bridge and you can go through with your bicycle or leave your car there, even if you do not get your hopes up as it is a small space. Only in the early hours can you find a hole. As you can see, another of the spaces that you cannot miss. For its beauty and for the wide range of activities and corners that will allow us to enjoy.