If you like water, in the Lagunas de Ruidera lake area you are going to enjoy 30 kilometres of authentic turquoise-blue marvel surrounded by nature, leisure and culture in one of the most important wetlands in Spain.
It is located in the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha and it stretches over the provinces of Ciudad Real and Albacete, making up what is known as the Upper Guadiana Valley. There are a total of fifteen small lakes created naturally by the accumulation of the tuffs that split the water passage into fifteen perfect lagoons to enjoy, which were also witnessed by Don Quixote de la Mancha.
It is undoubtedly one of the things that Castilla La Mancha is most proud of. The Lagunas de Ruidera are an impressive lake system that attracts tourists from all over the country.
It is not surprising that Ruidera not only boasts an impressive biological wealth, but also a great diversity of animal and plant species.
Waterfalls and springs are a constant feature to enjoy here, and depending on the lake you are in, you will be able to appreciate different natural manifestations.
If you would like to start your visit to the Lagunas de Ruidera somewhere more specific, we recommend that you do so at the Peñarroya reservoir, a huge expanse of crystal-clear water in a village where you will be impressed by its castle at the foot of the reservoir.
Should we start making a list of each of the waterfalls you can visit here, we recommend you focus on some of them in particular, such as the Cascada del Hundimiento waterfall, the highest waterfall in the whole Natural Park.
Any time of year is a good time to visit the Lagunas de Ruidera, but it is especially in spring and summer when more tourists visit one of them: the Laguna del Rey, which has some small beaches where you can swim or enjoy a water activity. It is the deepest lagoon, and if you want to see it in its entirety the best thing to do is to go up to the Laguna del Rey viewpoint, which will allow you to take the one iconic postcard photo of your trip.
For those who are looking for peace and quiet and enjoying a walk with great views, the walkways in the Laguna Colgada will allow you to enjoy the waterfalls between it and the ones that follow.
There are two more lagoons not to be missed: Laguna Lengua, perhaps the one where you can best appreciate the natural barriers that separate them and whose blue waters will remind you of a natural swimming pool.
As soon as you start admiring this landscape, you'll want to explore it from the inside, and what better way to do so than choosing any of these lakes to do some kayaking? This will be possible, among in others, at the San Pedro lake, where you will have to be skilful to enter the channel formed by the Chorro de las Minas spring.
And because it's not all about water here, we recommend you visit another of the fortresses in the Lagunas de Ruidera: the Rochafrida Castle, whose ruins are still standing, a luxury viewpoint overlooking this impressive Nature Reserve.
If you are travelling with children, they will love the excursion to the Montesinos Cave, which is located in Ossa de Montiel and dates back to the first Neolithic communities who found in this corner the ideal place to settle. During the visit they will explain everything about this interesting cave.
