Where to stay in Castilla-La Mancha, among sierras, lagoons and villages

Where to stay in Castilla-La Mancha by area

The six places in this guide are spread across four provinces: Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Albacete. The best base depends on what you are after, sierra and walking in Cuenca and Albacete, water and strolls at the lagoons, or a comfortable roadside stop in Toledo.

Province of Toledo

• Restaurante El Labrador, in Alcaudete de la Jara. A hostal with a bar and restaurant beside the Talavera road, with rooms that have a private bathroom and home-style set menus. It works for a simple night on the way, although opinions about the cooking are divided.

Sierra and villages of Cuenca

• Casa Rural Laguna de Uña, in Uña. A rural house in a sierra village, with a garden, a pool and a barbecue. It has five bedrooms, so it suits families or groups of friends who want nature and walking, and it accepts pets.
• La Casita Azul de Chillarón, in Chillarón de Cuenca. A self-contained house a few kilometres from the city, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a fitted kitchen. I see it as a calm getaway for a couple or friends, with a car and a taste for village life.
• Casa Rural Cuesta Grande, in Mota del Cuervo. A rural house with a pool, a barbecue, a lounge with a fireplace and a play area. Reviews see it as ideal for groups and families, although they mention some drawbacks, and the windmills of the area are easy to visit from there.

Lagoons of Ruidera, in Ciudad Real

• Hotel Restaurante El Molino, in Laguna Redondilla. A simple hotel with a charcoal grill restaurant, a bar and a garden beside the lagoon, a short walk from the natural park. Good for nature and good meat without frills, if a bit of wear doesn't bother you.

Sierra of Albacete

• Hostal Restaurante Andra, in Río Madera de Abajo. A rural hostal with a restaurant, surrounded by sierra and with a stream nearby. Good for switching off, walking and eating home cooking. Older reviews are enthusiastic, while more recent ones warn of changes in service.

What kind of accommodation you'll find in Castilla-La Mancha

Rural houses dominate, three of the six, along with hostals that have restaurants. There is also one simple hotel and a self-contained house. It is a region of practical accommodation, designed for people who travel by car.

The rural houses are almost always rented whole, with a kitchen, a garden or a pool, and they work well for groups because the cost is shared. Hostals with restaurants solve dinner without having to drive at night, which is much appreciated in small villages.

What this selection does not include are large hotels or spas. If you are looking for city-style hotel services, you will be more comfortable in a provincial capital.

Which to choose for your trip

If you are travelling with several people, a whole rural house wins on comfort. If you travel alone or as a couple and want to eat well without fuss, a hostal with a restaurant is the more sensible choice.

A note on the ratings: the house in Uña has a perfect Google score, but from only a few reviews, and the one in Mota del Cuervo has even fewer. Take them as a good sign, not a guarantee.

What to check before booking

In simple accommodation, what changes most from one review to another is the service and the wear. That is why it pays to read recent reviews and not just the overall score.

• At the Albacete hostal, older and newer reviews do not say the same thing, so look at the dates.
• The hotel by the lagoons has the lowest rating on the list, with complaints about wear. In return, its location is hard to beat.
• At the rural houses, confirm how many beds there really are and whether the pool and fireplace can be used at the time you are going.

When to go to Castilla-La Mancha

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking and exploring villages, with mild temperatures and the countryside at its most striking. Summer is very hot on the plains, and then the pool of a rural house or the coolness of the lagoons and the sierra is welcome.

Winter is cold, especially in the sierra, and a fireplace changes the plan. It is a season for quiet, good for calm getaways, although some services may be reduced.

How to get around Castilla-La Mancha

Here a car is nearly essential. Distances are long, public transport mainly links the capitals, and the villages where these places are located sit off the usual routes.

It is best to plan calmly: one base per area and day trips from it works better than changing beds every night. To combine Cuenca with the lagoons or with Albacete, it is better to spread them over different days.