Route of the Castle and Mills of Consuegra

Visit to the windmills of Consuegra

When we talk about Castilla-La Mancha, we all think of its monumental towns and villages, its natural landscapes and, of course, its legendary giants, depicted by Cervantes in Don Quixote. One of the best preserved and most significant groups of windmills is undoubtedly the one we can visit in the town of Consuegra. For many, the 12 windmills that are preserved in Consuegra, of the thirteen that originally existed, are the protagonists of one of the best-known scenes in Don Quixote, while others place this scene in the lands of Ciudad Real. In any case, visiting the windmills of Consuegra is one of the excursions not to be missed if you are in the province of Toledo. The route of the castle and windmills of Consuegra that we propose below will allow you to enjoy this La Mancha enclave, learn about its fascinating history and discover how the work of millers was carried out in these lands back in the 19th century.

How to get to the mills of Consuegra

To get to the mills of Consuegra we have several options depending on our starting point. The town is perfectly communicated, from Toledo capital through the motorway of the Vineyards joining it in a relatively short time. From Madrid, following the Southern motorway to Madridejos, a town close to Consuegra. You can also get there from Tomelloso, Manzanares or Ciudad Real. Once there, as well as being able to see the mills and the castle from almost any location, you will find the relevant signposts that will take you easily to the road that leads up to the monumental complex.

Enter your place of departure

Useful information for visiting the castle and mills of Consuegra

Accesses

Although the mills can be reached by car, the road leading up to them is usually closed or restricted to authorised vehicles, especially at weekends and on busy days. Just at the beginning of this road you will find a parking area next to a picnic area where you can park to visit the mills and the castle.

Price of the visit to the castle and mills of Consuegra

The visit to the exterior is free, but if you want to go inside the castle and the mills that can be visited from the inside, you will have to buy the corresponding ticket and follow the relevant timetables. Tickets can be purchased at the tourist office located in the Mill Bolero, the first one you come across as you go up the road. You can also book a guided tour online on the official website and get information before you arrive.Prices range from €7 for the guided tour, €4 for the unguided joint entrance to the castle and the Bolero mill, and €1.5 per person for the individual entrance to the Rucio mill.

Timetables for visits to the castle and mills of Consuegra

As you can imagine the visiting hours vary throughout the year, for example the guided tours are every 30 minutes from 10.00h to 14.00h and 15.30h to 18.00h, although in summer these hours are extended.

Itinerary of the route of the Castle and Mills of Consuegra

From the parking lot to the Clavileño mill 1.9 km

The parking area at the beginning of the road that climbs up to the Hill of Calderico, where the windmills and the castle of La Muela, as this fortress is actually called, are located, is our starting point for the route. The usual route followed by most people follows the route of the road, making the necessary detours to the mills. Once at the top, we can even leave the road and follow a wide path that connects each mill. The mills have their own names, the names of the mills of Consuegra can be found above each access door and are the following: Bolero, where the tourist office is located, Mambrino, Sancho, Mochilas, Vista Alegre, Cardeño, Alcancía, Chispas, Caballero del Verde Gabán, which houses a gastrobar, Rucio, which has machinery from the 16th century that still works today, Espartero and Clavileño.

Also from the parking area that we have taken as a reference point, there are different paths that ascend the hill in an attempt to shorten the distance. An unmarked hiking route that allows us to have a different perspective is the one that leaves the car park following the path that skirts the hill. This itinerary takes us to almost the end of the hill to change direction radically and ascend to the top where the Clavileño mill awaits us, the last of those who visit the usual route and the first if we do this circular route that returns to the car park by the road that goes up from it, thus making a little more than 4 km.​

Coordinates UTM Datúm WGS84

Profile of the route of the Castle and Windmills of Consuegra

Cartography

This schematic with the path is approximate and has been created from the derived cartographic base © Instituto Geográfico Nacional "Cuadrante 712-2 1:25.000".