What to do in Ciudad Real

Ciudad Real is home to the largest national park in Castilla-La Mancha and one of the most extensive greenway networks in Spain. Cabañeros occupies 40,600 hectares of Mediterranean forest in the Valle del Alcudia and Montes de Toledo, with the country's densest populations of Iberian lynx and black stork. Park rangers organise wildlife-watching outings at dawn, especially effective between November and March when the vegetation is lower. The signposted trail network covers more than 100 km, with routes of 3 to 20 km adapted to different levels. The Lagunas de Ruidera form a system of 15 linked lakes in the Guadiana canyon, connected by natural cascades of blue-green water. Kayaking and paddleboarding have bases at Ossa de Montiel, with routes allowing you to pass from one lake to the next and swim in the clearest sections. Water temperature reaches 22–24 °C between July and September, and the limestone walls of the canyon create microclimates with shade even in the height of August. Ciudad Real also has two greenways of more than 50 km each: the Vía Verde del Valle de Alcudia (55 km, former Puertollano–Almodóvar mining line) and the Vía Verde de la Sierra (54 km, the widest section of the Jaén–Córdoba route that continues to Seville). Both are suitable for cycling, skating and walking, with maximum gradients of 1.5% and several original railway tunnels. The flat La Mancha countryside makes road cycling a comfortable option for groups of mixed ability.