Do you feel like disconnecting a weekend and discovering a new place without having to do hundreds of kilometers?
Between Albacete, Cuenca and Valencia La Manchuela is located, a region marked by the landscapes of the Júcar and Cabriel rivers, the vineyards, the historical villages and a gastronomy that attracts more and more travelers.
Casas-Ibáñez is a good starting point to discover it.
Here you can combine a visit to a family winery, a gastronomic meal, a walk along the river, charming villages, natural environments full of magic, and some of the restaurants that are making this area also become a gastronomic destination.
From Vega Tolosa Family Payments We propose a route from Friday to Sunday to discover the area calmly.
FRIDAY NIGHT
Casas-Ibáñez has become a gastronomic destination in its own right.
On Friday you can get to Casas-Ibáñez, settle in your accommodation and start directly with one of the great attractions that is making more and more people come here: the Gastronomy.
The project Cañitas Maite has turned Casas-Ibáñez into a destination for fans of good food and brings together different gastronomic proposals to enjoy the cuisine and the product of the area.
If you are looking for a special gastronomic experience, you can book at OBA, which has a MICHELIN Star, a Green Star and 2 Repsol Suns.
Its cuisine is part of the territory, its products and the tradition of La Manchuela and the Cabriel Valley to build a contemporary proposal.
If you prefer a more informal experience, you can choose Cañitas Maite o La Taberñita, also within the project.
The best option will depend on the type of dinner you are looking for.
Of course: reservation in advance. Especially on weekends, these gastronomic proposals are in great demand.
Where to sleep?
For this getaway you can stay in Cañitas Maite, which offers different accommodation options in Casas-Ibáñez, or in Hotel Aros.
If you prefer a more rural experience, you will also find different rural houses in the surroundings, such as the Hotel Rural Avenjucar, which also has its own restaurant if you prefer to have dinner right there.
SATURDAY · 10:00 – 11:00
Discover Casas-Ibáñez before knowing its wines
After breakfast, start the morning by taking a walk through the historic center of Casas-Ibáñez.
Discover some of the most outstanding buildings and places in the town. One of them is the Church of San Juan Bautista, a construction of the seventeenth century that is worth visiting to know its interior.
SATURDAY · 11:00–13:00
Visit Vega Tolosa Family Payments. You must book the visit in advance here.
Two hours to get to know a family winery and discover the wine from the place where it was born
From the center of Casas-Ibáñez to Pagos de Familia Vega Tolosa there are only 2-3 minutes by car.
We recommend you to travel by car because, after our visit, you can continue directly to Alcalá del Júcar, without having to return to the center of Casas-Ibáñez.
At 11:00 we opened the doors of our winery.
We are a family dedicated to the cultivation of the vine for five generations and we work our vineyards in an ecological way in the environment of the D.O. Manchuela and the Cabriel Valley.
During the visit you will know our history, our way of working the vineyard and how we make our wines.
You will visit the production area and the barrel room and discover some of the varieties that are part of our identity, such as the Bobal and the Tardana and the Albilla, native white varieties that were about to disappear and we are recovering.
And, of course, there will be time to taste our wines.
The visit ends around a table, with a tasting accompanied by homemade sausages, Manchego cheese and our own extra virgin olive oil.
Two hours to know the wine, but also to understand a little better the land from which it is born.
SATURDAY · FROM 13:00
From the vineyards to Júcar: afternoon in Alcalá del Júcar
A village perched on the mountain where the river, white houses and caves form a unique landscape
From Vega Tolosa you can continue directly to Alcalá del Júcar.
The town is located a few kilometers from Casas-Ibáñez and is one of the essential places to discover in this area.
His image is spectacular: The white houses adapt to the slopes of the mountain and the Júcar River runs at their feet.
But Alcalá del Júcar deserves more than just a quick photo stop.
13:30–15:30 · Eating overlooking the Júcar
To eat you can choose between different proposals depending on the type of experience you are looking for.
El Mirador Restaurant It is a good option if you want to enjoy the views while eating and discover a cuisine based on product and gastronomy of La Mancha.
If you prefer to eat in the historic center, you can choose Fogones El Chato, a proposal focused, among other specialties, on grilled meats.
And if you're looking for something more casual, you can opt for Tapería El Cruce.
Our recommendation is to book in advance, especially during weekends and bridges.
Saturday Afternoon · What to see and do in Alcalá del Júcar
Spend the afternoon discovering Alcalá del Júcar and enjoying the landscape
Walk its streets and let the town itself take you.
1. The castle of Alcalá del Júcar
Start with the Castle, located in the highest part of the town.
From there you will have one of the best views of the town and the Júcar valley.
2. The cave-houses
One of the most characteristic elements of Alcalá del Júcar are its houses excavated in the mountain.
They are a sample of how the inhabitants of the area learned to take advantage of the rock itself to create their homes and spaces for everyday use.
Some can be visited and allow a much better understanding of the relationship between the village and the mountain.
3. Stroll through the historic center
Then, just walk.
Narrow streets, white houses, small squares and slopes are part of the charm of Alcalá.
Don't be in a hurry.
It is one of those towns that are more enjoyed walking than following a list of monuments.
4. The bridge over the Júcar
Also approach the river and cross its bridge.
From below you will be able to appreciate much better how the village adapts to the rock walls that surround it.
5. The viewpoints
Before you leave, look for one of the viewpoints that surround the town.
The image of the town perched on the mountain and the river Júcar winding between the snouts is one of the essential photographs of the trip.
And if you still have time...
If the time of year and the hours of light allow it, you can also approach one of the trails in the environment.
SATURDAY · NIGHT
Return to Casas-Ibáñez for dinner and rest
After a day of wine and scenery, it's time to slow down
After visiting Alcalá del Júcar, return to Casas-Ibáñez for the night.
For dinner you can choose between different proposals of the town.
Aros Restaurant It is an interesting option if you are looking to sit quietly for dinner.
You can also choose to Gardens Bar, a more informal alternative.
Then, it's time to rest.
On Sunday another completely different landscape still awaits us.
SUNDAY · TOMORROW
La Terrera: discover the landscape of Cabriel
On Sunday morning we propose you to approach La Terrera, one of the most interesting natural areas around Casas-Ibáñez, where the Cabriel riverside forest mixes with Mediterranean pine forests and agricultural areas.
If you want a quiet plan, you can go by car to La Terrera and once there, make the Interpretative path of La Terrera, about 2 kilometers, and spend the rest of the morning enjoying the environment of the river.
If you feel like it make a hiking trail, a good option that you can make without having to take the car is the route between Casas-Ibáñez and La Terrera, about 20 kilometers (round trip) and approximately five hours, of low difficulty. The path crosses crops, Mediterranean pine forest and riverside forest, offering a very pleasant way to discover the landscape of Cabriel on foot.
And if you prefer another way to enjoy the landscape, the Cabriel Valley offers different possibilities of active tourism, such as cycling, horseback riding, canoeing or kayaking. Water activities such as rafting can also be carried out at certain times of the year.
SUNDAY · FOOD
Back in Casas-Ibáñez, it's time to eat.
You can choose The Shop-Taste Forge, if you are looking for a proposal linked to the local product and gastronomy, or Bar-Restaurant The Park, a simpler and more informal option.
It's time to sit back unhurriedly, go over everything you've discovered over the weekend and enjoy one last meal before the last part of the route.
SUNDAY · TARDE
The Virgin of the Head, the Cerro de San Jorge or the Cave of Los Angeles
Two last viewpoints to say goodbye to Casas-Ibáñez
As the autumn and winter afternoons are shorter, we have left for this moment two visits that you can easily do from the village itself.
First, come to the Hermitage-Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Head, located on the outskirts of Casas-Ibáñez.
The sanctuary, built in the seventeenth century, is part of the historical and religious heritage of the town.
Then you can head towards the Cerro de San Jorge.
Cerro de San Jorge.es is one of the points from which you can best appreciate the landscape surrounding Casas-Ibáñez and understand the position of the town within La Manchuela.
It's a good way to end the getaway: looking at the landscape that you have been discovering throughout the weekend.
The vineyards. The fields. Mt. And, beyond, the landscapes modeled by the Júcar and the Cabriel.
Although if you still want more and want to extend the afternoon a little longer, you can approach the Cave of Los Angeles, about 15 minutes by car from Casas-Ibáñez.
The Cave of Angels is a spectacular hidden oasis This contrasts radically with the landscape of plains and vineyards in the region. Rainwater, streams and ramblas in the area have eroded the limestone rock creating what is locally known as a “tollo”, a narrow and deep ravine with pools.
Come and visit our winery.
Taste our wines.
Discover Casas-Ibáñez.
Get lost in Alcalá del Júcar.
Walk by the Cabriel.
And he comes home having discovered a new place.
A weekend can be enough to give you a first impression of everything that the surroundings of Casas-Ibáñez offer.
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