If you want to enjoy the best views and a traditional village in Castilla La Mancha, then you must come to Ossa de Montiel, A real pandora box of surprises in terms of its heritage, culture and nature.
Discover the province of Albacete from this municipality that was part of the region of Campo de Montiel, being the only one outside the province of Ciudad Real. It is a place of contrasts where the touristic offer is very large.
For those who are looking for culture, its old town is full of architectural and religious references. A good starting point could be the church honouring Santa María Magdalena, declared a Monument of Cultural Interest since 1992. In it, you can appreciate several trends such as the Gothic in its facade, and Mudejar in the roof. Without a doubt, it is one of the obligatory stops in this municipality.
Another essential stop is the Castle of Rochafrida, built at the time when the Visigoths populated the area, although it was later rebuilt during the Muslim ruling period. Today you can see the remains of a tower and a piece of its wall. All this, surrounded by intense and leafy vegetation that will make this stop a perfect setting to immortalize.
But there are some other places of interest that you will not find at plain sight too, since Ossa de Montiel hides some secrets such as that of the Cave of Montesinos, very close to the remains of the fortress we were talking about.
It is a cave of karstic origin of less than 100 metres that was formed by the action of rainwater on the ground. Perhaps it rings a bell because it is feature in of the passages of Don Quixote.
What you will find inside this cave is surprising, and it is that a dark and small lake awaits you, decorated on the roof by the stalactites, which has also served as a natural refuge. And from there, you can go to the Great Hall, which is the largest cavity where tools made of flint were found, which are proof of the presence of prehistoric tribes in the area.
Continuing in the midst of nature, we cannot forget the indisputable pillar of tourism: the Lagunas de Ruidera. A natural park with a total of fifteen impressive lagoons, nine and a half of which belong to the municipality of Ossa de Montiel and are naturally arranged in the form of stairs and making it look like an impressive waterfall that any tourist visiting this area will enjoy. You can't miss it!
And after a nice and very complete tour, you have to try its delicious and traditional gastronomy, in which there are many dishes elaborated with old recipes that have lamb as their main ingredient, together with other hunting produce, especially from small game, as it is the case of the partridge or the rabbit.
Welcome to Ossa de Montiel, a unique corner of Spain with a lot to offer!
