# Sunday in the Ruidera Lagoons: waterfall walk, lunch by the water and kayaking

A circular walk past four lagoons linked by waterfalls, La Mancha cooking at the Hotel Matías and, in the afternoon, two and a half hours of kayaking on Laguna Colgada.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera/itineraries/ruidera-waterfalls-lunch-kayak · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 08:30 · Salida: 1 h 15 by car (From Albacete via the N-430; from Ciudad Real, via Manzanares)
- 10:00 · Circular route round the Rey, Colgada, Batana and Santo Morcillo lagoons (5.5 km circular walk from the Laguna del Rey)
  - 6 min on foot
- 13:30 · Restaurant at the Hotel Matías (Open at midday 13:00 to 16:00 · booking) · Restaurant at the Hotel Matías, €€
  - 6 min by car, 2,2 km
- 16:15 · Kayaking on the Colgada lagoon, the largest in the park (Report to Ruidera 15 min early · €24) · Ruidera Activa, From €24 per person (€16 under 14)
- 19:00 · Vuelta (In Albacete or Ciudad Real around 20:30)

The Ruidera Lagoons deserve to be seen in two ways: on foot along the shore, where the water spills from one lagoon into the next, and from the inside, by kayak. This Sunday you do both, with a La Mancha lunch in between and without leaving the park. It is an hour and a half from Albacete and Ciudad Real, and about two hours from Toledo.

## The day, hour by hour

8:30 · Set off. From Albacete, take the N-430; from Ciudad Real, drive to Manzanares and then the N-430 via La Solana. Before you leave, confirm the time of the afternoon kayak with Ruidera Activa on WhatsApp.

10:00 · Waterfall walk. Park next to Laguna del Rey and do the circuit round the Rey, Colgada, Batana and Santo Morcillo lagoons: 5.5 km, two and a half hours at an easy pace, with the waterfalls between lagoons. Take water and a cap.

13:30 · Lunch. At the restaurant of the Hotel Matías, on the lagoons road as you leave Ruidera: La Mancha cooking, a terrace and space for children. Open at midday from 13:00 to 16:00; book ahead.

16:15 · Kayaking on Laguna Colgada. Arrive at the Ruidera Activa centre, on Avenida de Castilla-La Mancha, a quarter of an hour early. Two and a half hours in all, with a practice session, waterfalls, a cave and an island. €24 (€16 for under-14s). Bring swimwear, water shoes and a change of clothes.

19:00 · Head home.

## If there is no kayaking

Out of season, or if it is too cold to get wet, swap the kayak for the Cueva de Montesinos and the Quebrada del Toro, with a guide at 16:00: Don Quixote's cave and a canyon. With small children, the Miradores path, from the interpretation centre in Ossa de Montiel, shows you the lagoons from above in 3.5 km.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
From Albacete, about 95 km on the N-430; from Ciudad Real, about 110 km via Manzanares; from Toledo, about 175 km. Inside the park, everything is on the lagoons road.

## Consejos

### Confirm the kayak the day before
The company does not publish a calendar: ask for the time on WhatsApp.

### Water shoes all day
The tufa on the shores is sharp and slippery.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does kayaking in Ruidera cost?
€24 for the long trip on Laguna Colgada, €16 for under-14s.

### How long does it take to get from Albacete to the Ruidera Lagoons?
About an hour and a half by car, on the N-430.

### Where can I eat on a Sunday in the Ruidera Lagoons?
At the Hotel Matías, which opens every day at midday, or at Perca Rosa, next to Laguna del Rey.

### Can you do it with children?
Yes: the walk is easy and the kayak has a children's rate.