Alcázar de San Juan between lagoons, windmills and museums

Alcázar de San Juan is home to the Complejo lagunar de Alcázar de San Juan, a natural area comprising three lagoons: La Veguilla, Camino de Villafranca and Las Yeguas. The complex is included in the Reserva de la Biosfera de la Mancha Húmeda (UNESCO, 1981). From the Centro de Interpretación of the Complejo lagunar de Alcázar de San Juan, an educational trail leads to several observation points on the shores of La Veguilla lagoon.

When booking a holiday apartment in Alcázar de San Juan, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies side by side on the respective offer pages. You can also decide whether the lagoons, museums, the group of windmills, Carnavalcázar or wine tourism activities should be the main focus of your plans.

Culture and history

A second approach leads into the cultural history of the town. The museographic presentation in Santa María La Mayor includes a tour with 14 strategic points inside and outside the church. Santa María La Mayor also offers a museum interpretation with audio guides and QR codes, enabling visitors to take an interpretive tour through significant rooms and elements of the church worthy of preservation. The two forms of interpretation place different emphasis on spatial sequence and digital explanations. The two approaches can be clearly distinguished: the tour structures the presentation through a fixed sequence of points inside and outside the church, while audio guides and QR codes provide digital explanations of individual rooms and elements worthy of preservation. In this way, spatial sequence and self-directed information come together without the two forms serving the same purpose.

The Torreón del Gran Prior is part of the Conjunto Palacial del Gran Prior. It is a museum space dedicated to the history of the Hospitallers of Saint John. A visit takes you through the interior of the tower and its historical presentation to the upper level; from there, you can look out over the layout of the old town.

The Museo Nacional Ferroviario displays a steam locomotive from 1864. At the Museo Casa del Hidalgo, you can learn about the way of life of the hidalgos who inspired Miguel de Cervantes when creating the character of Don Quixote de La Mancha. Cerro de San Antón has walking areas from which you can explore the group of windmills on foot.

Festivals and wine

Carnavalcázar is celebrated from 25 to 28 December during the Christmas season and is recognized as a festival of regional tourist interest. Alcázar de San Juan also offers wine tourism activities such as winery tours, tastings and workshops. Thus, fixed-date festivities throughout the year stand alongside various ways of engaging with wine.

Other places to discover

Other places to discover include Horcajo de los Montes, Hinojosas de Calatrava, Retuerta del Bullaque, Arenales de San Gregorio, Los Cortijos, Venta de Cárdenas, Almadén and Fontanarejo.

For the higher-level travel overview: Ciudad Real.