Itinerary

Day 1: Late morning rendezvous at the train station in Cuenca. Visit the early Gothic cathedral and surprising museum collections of abstract art and “found objects.” An afternoon warm-up ride features sweeping vistas of the river canyons and Cuenca’s amphitheater-like setting. Welcome dinner and overnight in the heart of the Old Quarter. (0, 8, or 15 mi.)

Day 2: Transfer to the ancient fortified town of Belmonte and take in the eagle’s-eye lookouts and finely-coffered Mudéjar ceilings of the Castillo. Biking the Ruta del Quijote, we’ll catch our first glimpse of ridge-top windmills and stop to visit a working mill-turned-museum. In El Toboso, home to the Don’s beloved Dulcinea, our inn is a 17th-century caserón manchego, lovingly restored by a Cervantes scholar. (21 or 33 mi.)

Day 3: Free morning to visit the Casa de Dulcinea and the entertaining Museu Humor-Gráfico Dulcinea. Transfer to Ossa de Montiel to pedal a beautiful section of the Ruta past old farm estates, Mediterranean woodlands, and the Cave of Montesinos, where Don Quijote had his famous dream. Finish the day with an easy spin along the Lagunas de Ruidera, a linear park of interconnected lakes nicknamed the “Mirrors of La Mancha.” Creative cuisine and overnight stay overlooking the Laguna San Pedro. (17 or 29 mi.)

Day 4: Watch for feeding pochards, coots, and marsh harrier on lakeside trails through the Lagunas Natural Reserve. Brake in Villanueva de los Infantes for lunch and a walking tour of Renaissance palacios. Late afternoon transfer to Almagro for a two-night stay in a traditional 17th-century manor house. (18 or 26 mi.)

Day 5: Free day to explore Almagro’s treasures: The grand Plaza Mayor, National Theatre Museum, and the Corral de Comedias, the only surviving open-air theater from Spain’s Golden Age. An optional ride follows the Ruta to the imposing Sacred Monastery-Castle of Calatrava, constructed and occupied by the powerful order of knight-monks from the 13th to 18th centuries. (0 or 22 mi.)

Day 6: Pedal past shadowy ruins of the Castillo de Almonacid and sunwashed fields of wheat en route to the World Heritage city of Toledo. Farewell dinner and overnight in a five-star palace hotel in the heart of the Old Quarter. (22 mi.)

Day 7: A morning walking tour explores the city’s winding alleys and architectural gems: medieval synagogues, a 10th-century mosque, and the magnificent cathedral. El Greco aficionados will delight in the city-wide collection of the master’s works. Early afternoon transfer to the Toledo train station for express trains to Madrid.

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