Province of Toledo

We find the province of Toledo right in the heart of the Southern Plateau, to the north of the province of Ciudad Real and bordering with the Madrid Autonomous Region in the central-northern area. The River Tajo passes through these lands midway through its course and crosses the entirety of the province, from east to west, embracing the provincial and regional capital, Toledo.

From the epicentre of the province, the city of Toledo, with its many different ways of being discovered and explored - The City of Three Cultures, The City of El Greco, The City of Legends, The Imperial City… - opens the door for us to discover other parts of the province to which it gives its name.

Other places that combine, in equal parts, monumental sites and the singularly beautiful nature zones that surround them, all full of history and enchantment where craftwork of distant origins is waiting to be found … into a unique recipe to be discovered, savoured and enjoyed.

Talavera de la Reina is the other most important city of the province economically, topping even Toledo in population. Here, the Prado Basilica and the Collegiate Church are not to be missed nor are the fabulous handmade ceramic pieces, the most important examples of which are housed in the Ruiz de Luna Museum.

Carranque is near the towns of Illescas and Esquivias, famous for their Santuario de la Caridad (Charity Sanctuary) – which houses several of El Greco’s paintings – and for the Cervantes House-Museum. Here, we are invited to visit the Carranque Archaeological Site where we will find a late Roman village from the 4th century. Its Basilica, its Nymphaeum (Ninfeo) and its Village send us on a trip through time to the days when Rome was falling apart and accurately recreate what could have been everyday life in this part of the Roman Empire.

Yet, after the Romans, the Visigoths also occupied these lands in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and left their own mark. We can thus find, near the town of San Martín de Montalbán, Santa María de Melque’s Visigoth Church, which is perfectly equipped for touristic visits thanks to its Interpretation Centre. It is one of the best examples of early medieval architecture in all of Europe and a veritable treasure that simply must be seen. Another place in the province dedicated to this period and to the Visigoth culture is the Visigoth Museum of the Town of Arisgotas, a dependency of the municipality of Orgaz.

The province of Toledo offers two routes relating to The Celestina and the rogue Lazarillo, retracing the steps once taken by Fernando de Rojas and the enigmatic author of The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes. In addition, the towns that evoke Don Quixote: Consuegra, El Toboso…and the Ruta de los Castillos (Castle Route): a tour of the most impressive remaining fortresses of the area.

Along with all of this, don’t forget that the province of Toledo also offers you the possibility of enjoying nature: hunting, fishing, hiking… as well as its cuisine and its craftwork… a perfect way to top off your trip to the lands of Toledo…