Consuegra, twelve windmills and a castle above the plain.

Consuegra is a large town on the Toledo plain, at the foot of the Montes de Toledo, and it has the best-known image of La Mancha: twelve white windmills in a row along the crest of Cerro Calderico, with a medieval castle beside them. It is the landscape of chapter VIII of Don Quixote, the one with the giants, and it can be seen from the motorway from kilometres away. Below, the old town has a square with wooden galleries, an archaeological museum and a saffron tradition that is celebrated every October.

How do you get there from Toledo and from Madrid?

By car. From Toledo it is about 64 km, around 50 minutes. From Madrid, about 135 km along the A-4: a good hour and a half. From Ciudad Real, about 90 km, an hour and a quarter. From Guadalajara or from Cuenca, about two hours.

Where to park?

There are two options. For the windmills, drive up Calle del Cerro Calderico: at the top there is parking next to the windmills and the castle. For the town, park on the streets around the centre and walk to the Plaza de España. You can also leave the car below and walk up the hill by the steps of the hermitage of the Cristo de la Vera Cruz, a few minutes' climb.

In August, during Consuegra Medieval, and in late October, during the Rosa del Azafrán, the windmill road is closed to traffic: you have to walk up. Buses need permission from the tourist office to go up.

What to see and do?

First, the hill. Walk along the row of windmills, go into the Bolero, which is the tourist office and is now a museum, and into the Rucio, privately owned, which publishes a calendar of milling days. The Sancho keeps its 16th-century machinery. Next to them, the castle of La Muela, seat of the Order of St John in La Mancha for six centuries and the setting of the battle of 1097 in which El Cid's son died. The guided visit includes the castle and the Bolero for €9.

Below, the Plaza de España and the Los Corredores building, with the Archaeological Museum: remains of Roman Consabura, Islamic pieces, objects of the Order of Malta and medieval footwear. A few kilometres away, in the countryside, the dam that the town council presents as the longest in Roman Hispania.

For something different, Quesos César, an artisan cheese dairy on the outskirts, organises sheep's cheese tastings with local wine, by reservation.

How much time?

The windmills and the castle are seen in two or three hours. With the town, the museum and a meal, it is a full day. It is worth staying until sunset on the hill, when the sun falls over the plain behind the windmills.

When to go?

Spring and autumn are ideal. The last week of October is the Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán, with the rose-picking and the Molienda de la Paz at the windmills. In mid-August, Consuegra Medieval recreates the battle of 1097, with special-price tickets that are best bought in advance. In high summer, the hill has no shade. After Consuegra Medieval, the castle may close on some days for cleaning: call ahead.

Where to eat?

El Alfar, in a former pottery workshop with a courtyard, is open every day at midday: the safe bet for a Sunday. La Taberna del Tío Caraco, on the industrial estate, serves home-style La Mancha cooking and game and is open on Sundays; closed Tuesdays. For a special meal, El Retorno, with 25 seats and always by reservation. On the hill, the Verde Gabán serves tapas and drinks inside a windmill.