Villarrubia de los Ojos: Trails, Wetlands and Culture

Villarrubia de los Ojos lies between the Cabañeros and Las Tablas de Daimiel national parks. The landscape combines mountain relief with extensive plains. Within the municipality, the Guadiana rises at the Ojos del Guadiana, a natural outlet of Aquifer 23. Near Villarrubia de los Ojos, Las Tablas de Daimiel is a complex ecosystem: it combines a floodplain formed by the flooding of the Guadiana and Gigüela rivers at their confluence with an area where groundwater from a large aquifer is discharged.

Nature and Trails

The first section of the Camino Natural del Guadiana is 19.6 kilometres long, takes about four hours on average and has a low difficulty level. It is suitable for hiking or cycling and runs from Villarta de San Juan to the Pozas de los Alpargateros in Villarrubia de los Ojos.

The Sendilla de la Virgen is a nine-kilometre route that takes about two hours and has a low to medium difficulty level, suitable for hiking or cycling. It runs along the southern foothills of the Sierra de Villarrubia and passes elevations known as “morras”, which are associated with Bronze Age settlements. Along the route, visitors can also see the medieval settlement of Xetar and the historic Camino de los volanderos or veladores.

The Las Charcas Observatory is located 2.5 kilometres from the centre of Villarrubia de los Ojos and consists of two facilities for observing birdlife and the landscape.

Parque Recreativo Gigüela offers paths and trails along the river, picnic areas and small footbridges over the Gigüela. The more than 140,000 m² recreational area on the riverbank is one kilometre from the centre and can be reached on foot, by bicycle or by car. The park is part of the Gigüela ecological corridor, which is connected to valuable wetlands around the Tablas de Daimiel and the Lagunas y Albardinales del Gigüela nature reserve.

Part of the wetlands within the municipality of Villarrubia de los Ojos is included in the Parque Nacional de Las Tablas de Daimiel. A large part of the Sierras de Villarrubia de los Ojos is protected within the Red Natura 2000 network.

Culture and Tradition

The Romería de la Virgen de la Sierra has been a traditional local celebration honouring the patron saint Virgen de la Sierra since the late 1960s. Holy Week in Villarrubia de los Ojos is recognised as a festival of regional tourist interest and includes a processional tradition carried on annually by the local brotherhoods. Two Romerías take place around the Santuario Virgen de la Sierra, combining religious ceremonies with popular festivities: one on the third Sunday in May and one on Easter Monday.

The Santuario Virgen de la Sierra comprises a white single-nave chapel integrated into an elongated, two-storey courtyard complex with residential areas. The sanctuary is generally open daily during daylight hours; the chapel’s small religious museum can be visited on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was built on the site of the former castle of Villarrubia de los Ojos and dates from the 16th century. Known as Iglesia Ntra. Sra. de la Asunción, it is designed in the Late Gothic style and has a single-nave interior, a polygonal apse, a ribbed vault and stone buttresses. The Torre del Reloj was built in 1891 by the architect Sebastián Rebollar from brick in the Neo-Mudéjar style to house the town clock.

The Museo Etnográfico San Isidro presents local economic activities and the equipment used for them in a historical sequence from prehistoric times to the mid-20th century. It is housed in a restored former municipal slaughterhouse dating from 1904.

More Places to Explore

Torrenueva, Calzada De Calatrava, Campo De Criptana, Puebla De Don Rodrigo, Los Cortijos, Malagón, Hinojosas De Calatrava and Fuencaliente

For the higher-level travel overview: Ciudad Real.