Discover Las Casas: Nature Trails, History and Festivals

Las Casas is the starting point for Stage 9 of the nature trails network to Valverde; the village belongs to the municipality of Ciudad Real. When leaving Las Casas, the stage follows a 2.7-kilometre paved section shared with cars. The stage to Valverde connects agricultural landscapes with the route along the Guadiana, while the turn-off to Laguna de La Posadilla opens up a volcanic natural area. Alarcos adds archaeology and a long history of settlement to this perspective.

Nature

Along Stage 9, there are cereal fields, olive groves and vineyards. In this area, marsh vegetation can conceal the water surface of the Guadiana. In the wider regional surroundings of Las Casas, Laguna de La Posadilla features a lava flow and a lake within its volcanic crater; it forms part of the protected ZEC area “Lagunas volcánicas del Campo de Calatrava”. A 2.7-kilometre route branch leads to this lagoon in the wider regional surroundings of Las Casas.

History

In the wider regional surroundings of Las Casas, Stage 9 leads to the Alarcos archaeological site, which has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and experienced significant phases of development during the Iberian and medieval periods. Visitors can tour the site; the complex’s workshops are also accessible.

Culture

At Plaza Iglesia Casas stands the Iglesia Parroquial del Anejo de las Casas, which is under full, or integral, protection. Las Casas holds patron-saint celebrations in honour of the Virgen del Rosario, including a Mass and a procession. The annual gastronomic competitions held as part of these Fiestas Patronales include competitions for the best Migas, the most Manchego-style Gachas and the most traditional Pisto.

The programme for the 2023 patron-saint celebrations included traditional games and regional dance with the Escuela de baile Mazantini. The long-established Cruces de Mayo celebrations in Ciudad Real were held in 2026 at Plaza de la Iglesia with the participation of the Asociación de Mujeres, Deportivo-Cultural Las Casas.

Experiences

Playas del Vicario is a tourist complex in the rural area of Las Casas. It includes sports facilities, swimming pools, a spa, a relaxation area with massages, a restaurant, a campsite, and accommodation in tipis and yurts. For a guided hike, the meeting point is at 9:00 a.m. at Presa del Vicario. It ends at 1:30 p.m. with a cheese tasting at Plaza de Las Casas. The hike is accompanied by nature expert Victoriano Martín Centeno and historian Antonio José Martín Consuegra.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Las Casas, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be considered separately. These details form a separate framework alongside the location’s diverse landscape, cultural and leisure features, leaving room for different personal travel plans.

For the higher-level travel overview: Ciudad Real.