To the south of Ciudad Real lies a small town that stands out for its varied landscapes, its historical monuments and exquisite cuisine.
Puertollano is a beautiful town in La Mancha located between two hills and within walking distance of the Alcudia Valley and the Sierra Morena. Thanks to its strategic location, a holiday in Puertollano can include an exciting hike through the magnificent natural scenery of its surroundings, with walks between forests of holm oaks, oaks and cork oaks large stretches of crops or narrow gorges created by rivers and streams.
Discover how a mine works and delve into the history of the Puertollano region at the Mining Museum, located in the Pozo Norte park, which was home to the most important mining operation in the north of the Alcudia Valley until its closure in 1975. However, the most important touristic attraction in Puertollano is the Fuente Agria fountain on the Paseo de San Gregorio, which dates back to the 16th century and gives iron-infused water with supposedly curative properties.
As for religious monuments, it is worth visiting the Iglesia de la Asunción Church, declared of Cultural Interest due to its 16th century architecture, and the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Virgen de Gracia, built at the end of the 16th century by the people of Puertollano to thank the Virgin Mary for deliverance from a large epidemic of the plague.
As an economically priced destination, it’s easy to arrange cheap trips to Puertollano, and use the town as a base to visit the surroundings and discover the charms of this part of La Mancha, known as the Campo de Calatrava, with its beautiful landscapes and several volcanic lagoons.
To travel to Puertollano you can take the train: the high-speed AVE train from Madrid takes about an hour to cross the 150 miles that separate them. Once at Puertollano station, you can rent a car to explore the areas surrounding the city.
Although this is often just one stop on a longer tour of Castile-La Mancha, Puertollano has a discreet hotel offering to cater for all tastes for those who choose it as a base to explore the Quixotic landscapes that surround it.
