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Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park

Camino el Vivero, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha

Description

Lagunas de Ruidera is a natural park located in the Spanish La Mancha plain, across the Albacete and Ciudad Real provinces. It covers about 38km2 and features a string of 15 lagoons and a manmade reservoir connected by streams, falls and subterranean flows in the valley of Upper Guadiana River. It houses a diverse faune and flora, including a large number of bird species. Details available here (in Spanish): http://www.lagunasderuidera.es/fauna_elparque_44.html Visitors can enjoy various walking and cycling tracks as well as some bathing areas. Trivia: the Cueva de Montesinos featured in Don Quixote is situated here and so is the house of the King in the village of Ruidera.

Access & Transport

The main access points are through the villages of Ossa de Montiel and Ruidera. Those are 95km to the west of Albacete on the N-430 and 110km east of Ciudad Real on the A-43/N-430 respectively.

Instructions & Recommendations

The park makes available 4x4 and guided visits for those interested. Link to the various trails/itineraries description: http://www.lagunasderuidera.es/itinerarios-del-parque_lavisita_52.html This activity can be combined with a trip to the village of Villanueva de los Infantes to the south of the park.

Meta review

The park is mostly visited by regional tourists and gets extremely positive reviews for the beautiful scenery and the multitude of activities available: walking, swimming, paddle-boarding, kayaking, and horse riding to name the main ones. Many comments that this is a good option for families because of the lakes and waterfalls that children should very much enjoy.

Environmental & Social

Natural parks help preserve biodiversity and almost all activities are eco-friendly. Tourism brings some economic activity to the surrounding villages.

Conclusion

The natural park of Lagunas de Ruidera is a wonderful and leisurely way to discover more about the local ecosystems whilst enjoying a good walk or swim. An ideal option (and a change from churches and castles) for those who prefer slow travel and are designing a Castile-La Mancha itinerary

Key positive

Very picturesque

Several activities possible and not busy

Key negative

None

Suitability

Suitable for all ages. Visitors with reduced mobility will be able to discover most of the area using a 4x4 but will not be able to use all walking paths

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:1h 30m

est. visit time:4h

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightNo

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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