Free walking tours in Villarrobledo and what to see

Must-sees

Villarrobledo is in north-west Albacete, on the plains of La Mancha, surrounded by vineyards of the La Mancha appellation. The centre of local life is the Plaza Mayor, with the town hall and its Renaissance façade and the church of San Blas, a large church begun in the 15th century. Around town you'll see other old churches, enclosed convents founded in the 16th century and houses with coats of arms from its heyday.

The town's most distinctive feature is its clay wine jars, or tinajas, which Cervantes mentions in Don Quixote. The Wine Jar Pottery Interpretation Centre explains how these huge vessels for wine were made, and the Bodega de Don Quijote centre completes the story. Villarrobledo's Carnival is also one of the best known in Spain, and in spring the town hosts the Viña Rock music festival.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no regular free walking tours in Villarrobledo. What's on offer are visits to local wineries, with a tour of the facilities and a tasting of La Mancha wines, sometimes including the old wine jars. For the monuments, the tourist office is the best starting point, and the interpretation centres help you understand the town on your own.

How long to spend

One day is plenty. Spend the morning on the Plaza Mayor, San Blas and the wine-jar pottery centre, and the afternoon on a winery visit. If your visit coincides with Carnival, the atmosphere changes completely and it's worth staying longer. For a wider wine route, you can continue to Tomelloso or Socuéllamos, a short distance away.

Where to stay

The practical choice is to stay in the centre, near the Plaza Mayor, where there's a hotel or two and holiday apartments and everything is on foot. Accommodation is limited and sells out during Carnival and Viña Rock, so book well in advance for those dates. As an alternative, Albacete or San Clemente, in Cuenca province, have more beds.