Windmills Route

The regrouping of the towns of Criptana, Villajos and Posadas Viejas give place to the municipality of Campo de Criptana. Through Campo de Criptana passed many cultures; it was a border town until 1212, after the battle of Navas de Tolosa, when the Christians settled there for good.

Following the Ruta del Quijote we find ourselves in Campo de Criptana with one of the three oldest windmills in Spain: the Sardinero who, along with the windmill of Burleta e Infanto, was included more than 21 years ago as National Patrimony in Spain and of cultural interest.

Campo de Criptana, between the blue bases and the sky, blinds you with its whiteness. Of all the towns of La Mancha, where Don Quijote passed by, this is the most beautiful and endearing one. Its houses, small and crammed on a hill, uncover a bunch of solitary mills. I climb the arid hill, I circle them. They no longer move their gigantic blades, but they still inspire respect. Here, after defying them by saying “Don’t run away, cowards” and of entrusting himself to Dulcinea, Don Quijote battled with them.

The Cerro de los Molinos is one of the most famous places in Castilla la Mancha. It is capable of inspiring Cervantes himself, and today it presents a landscape that stuns the visitor with its majesty. There are several restaurants on the top of the hill, so we could accompany the visit with good food and wine (local one of course).

Moreover, there are different museums available so that the visitor can understand the functioning of these giants, and one dedicated to the most famous citizen of Criptana: Sara Montiel. It is common to encounter Asian tourists in the hill, since the songs