Don Quixote thought they were giants, but in reality they were the famous windmills of Castilla-La Mancha. Campo de Criptana, located in Ciudad Real, boasts the setting that inspired Cervantes and has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest.
It is now possible to visit it from Madrid with an immersive historical tour on the Tren de los Molinos. The trip departs from Chamartín station and , in a single day, allows you to get up close and personal with the so-called “Land of Giants.”
The project is a collaboration between Renfe and the Campo de Criptana City Council and includes theatrical performances, guided tours, and tastings of local products. It is part of Renfe’s Tourist Trains and the first departure will be on May 9.
A journey into the past
The train will depart from Chamartín station at 9:25 a.m. and arrive in Campo de Criptana at around 11:20 a.m. Upon arrival, the immersion in the local environment begins with a tasting at a winery and visits to places such as the Pozo de la Nieve, a building that was used to store ice in the 17th century .
In the afternoon, the tour continues through the Albaicín neighborhood, full of historic, narrow streets with white facades, throughLuis Cobos Park and the Molino Manchego Interpretation Center. Here you can learn about how the machinery works, its history, and its relevance in the 16th century.
And, of course, there will be a mandatory visit to the Sierra de los Molinos, the most Quixotic place on the entire trip. Three of them stand out : Burleta, Infanto, and Sardinero, which retain their original structure and machinery, taking us back to the 16th century.
Tickets and timetables
Tickets for the Tren de los Molinos are now available on the Renfe website. They cost €55 for adults, which includes the round trip, tasting, and guided tours, but not lunch. For children under 14, the cost is reduced to €25.
The trip is made on a medium-distance train that will be enlivened by characters from Don Quixote, departing at 9:25 a.m. and arriving at 9:45 p.m. at Chamartín station, with an additional stop at Atocha.
Renfe has already published the dates for this excursion, with the first trip on May 9 and the second on June 6. Although there will be no trips during the summer, they will resume in the fall on September 26, October 10 and 24, and November 7.