Between Windmills and Plains
A Photographic Journey Through La Mancha
Panoramic view of Alcázar de San Juan from its windmills
There’s a place that caught my attention for a long time, until a few years ago I had the chance to visit and get to know it: Castilla-La Mancha, or the lands of Don Quixote. A territory that had occupied a corner of my imagination for years, fueled both by Cervantes’ novel and by the legendary 1980s animated series that, like others, marked my childhood. Those windmills turned into giants, those endless plains, and idealistic characters stayed with me, and since then, I always knew that, sooner or later, I would go in search of that landscape to discover it, feel it… and photograph it.
If there’s an architectural element that defines La Mancha, it’s the windmill. I went in search of them in emblematic places like Consuegra, Campo de Criptana, Puerto Lápice, Alcázar de San Juan, and Mota del Cuervo. In each of them, the presence of windmills is not only a testimony to the past, but part of their present—of their visual and cultural identity.
Panoramic view of Campo de Criptana
These structures stand out for their simplicity and the way they blend into the landscape. The white stone towers, crowning hills or elevations, seem perfectly placed to catch the wind and to watch, from above, the passing of time across the plain.
Alcázar de San Juan Windmills
Consuegra, with its perfectly aligned group of windmills atop the Cerro Calderico, next to the castle, is one of the most well-known and visited sites. The view from there sums up the archetypal image of La Mancha: white, blue sky, and an endless stretch of land.
Partial view of Consuegra from Cerro Calderico
Consuegra Windmills and La Muela Castle
Very close by Campo de Criptana, there’s another notable group of windmills, three of which are declared Sites of Cultural Interest, preserving both their original structure and machinery.
Partial view of Campo de Criptana
Campo de Criptana Mills
Nighttime photo in Campo de Criptana
Puerto Lápice stands out not only for its windmills but also for its traditional architecture, like its arcaded square that preserves the spirit of the Cervantine inns.
Detail of Constitution Square, (Puerto Lápice).
La Mancha landscape from the mills of Puerto Lápice
In Alcázar de San Juan Alcázar de San Juan, I had the chance to experience one of the most special moments of this trip. Not every day can you witness a beautiful sunset next to those windmills overlooking the town. A moment of light and silence that’s hard to forget.
Sunset from the windmills of Alcázar de San Juan
Mota del Cuervo, known as “the balcony of La Mancha,” with seven windmills atop the hill, offers spectacular views of the surroundings.
Four of the windmills at Mota del Cuervo
Windmill and partial view of Mota del Cuervo
Beyond the Windmills: Towns with Character
Throughout the trip, I discovered that La Mancha has much more to offer than windmills. Places like Tembleque, El Toboso, Argamasilla de Alba, and Belmonte preserve an architectural and cultural heritage worth paying attention to.
References to Don Quixote are common in any town in the region
Dulcinea plays a special role in El Toboso
Tembleque’s main square, with its hexagonal Baroque-style wooden galleries, is a perfect example of popular local architecture. In El Toboso, the literary shadow of Dulcinea lives on alongside the beauty of its whitewashed streets and historic walls.
Another place worth visiting is Argamasilla de Alba, which proudly claims to be the town where Cervantes “was imprisoned,” according to the author himself.
One of the entrances to Tembleque's Plaza Mayor
Medrano House Cave, (Argamansilla de Alba)
In Belmonte, the grandeur of its Gothic-Mudejar castle coexists with the charm of its urban layout.
Panoramic view of Belmonte
The castle of Belmonte stands on the top of the San Cristobal hill
Tomelloso Town Council
Los Portales Inn, (Tomelloso)
Open Landscapes, Infinite Skies
La Mancha is also a land of vast skies and generous terrain. The long straight roads lined with vineyards, the endless plains, the ever-changing hues of the soil… All of this forms part of a space that welcomes the camera with honesty and rewards those who stop to look.
Typical and fascinating landscape of La Mancha
Long straights are common along the route
Vineyard plantation with poppies in the foreground
This journey was born from a longing, like many others. But sometimes, small dreams—like seeing Don Quixote’s windmills at sunset—are the ones that last the longest. Photographing La Mancha was, for me, as much a visual exercise as a way of closing a circle that began in childhood, between books and animated series.
If you’ve never visited this part of Spain, I encourage you to give it a chance. Beyond its obvious connection to Don Quixote, La Mancha offers a unique mix of culture, heritage, landscape, and—why not say it—a fantastic cuisine. A place to get lost, to feel… and to enjoy.
Photos: ©Juan Carlos Asorey
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