Castilla La Mancha

Buying a property in Castilla La Mancha may not be something you have considered in your search for that Spanish dream home. Unless you happen to be a devotee of Cervantes’ 400 year old epic novel Don Quijote you may never even have heard of this large area of inland Spain – right in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. One of Spain’s Autonomous Communities, Castilla La Mancha is the least densely populated – and this region is bursting at the seams with fascinating legends and history, with fairytale castles and beautiful Mosques reflecting its rich cultural past. Much of the land is arid, windswept plains – La Mancha comes from the Arabic word manxa, meaning parched but there are also vast areas, particularly around Cuenca, with verdant forests, mountains, fields of sunflowers, and pretty rivers and waterfalls. Even if you aren’t too familiar with Don Quijote, you may recall that he ‘tilted at windmills’ – and said windmills are dotted throughout the region.

The gastronomy of Castilla la Mancha is best described as simple and rustic – but extremely delicious: stews, sausages, game and Spain’s most famous cheese – Manchego. The region is also famous for its outstanding wines and is home to the world’s biggest vineyard. About 40 miles from Madrid, Toledo is the capital city of the region (at one time it was the capital city of Spain). Toledo is a fascinating place – twisting cobbled streets take you through an amazing mix of architectural styles which reflect its chequered past: medieval, Moorish, and renaissance architecture; churches, mosques and synagogues. Spiritual home to Spain’s most famous artist, El Greco, Toledo now has a museum which is home to the largest collection of his paintings in the world.

And, until recently, that was the story of Castilla La Mancha – a region virtually untouched by tourism or development, and explored mostly by Don Quixote fans and those in need of a major Spanish culture fix. Things look set to change, however, with the news that the American company Harrah’s is to build a Spanish version of Las Vegas’ most famous casino, Caesar’s Palace. The development will be in the province of Ciudad Real, around 120 miles from Madrid, and is set to be Europe’s answer to Las Vegas – with hotels, luxury health clubs, a vast shopping centre, theatre – and plenty of new build properties. The building starts at the end of 2006 and should be completed in 2008. Clearly, this will have a huge impact on the area and will bring it to the attention of tourists and would be property investors – two new motorways and a brand new International airport are also part of the radical changes envisaged for Castilla La Mancha.

It’s worth bearing in mind that, while the new casino development will change the face of Ciudad Real beyond recognition, Castilla La Mancha is a vast area – and most of it will remain unchanged, though with improvements in the infrastructure which will increase its appeal to property buyers. Places like Toledo, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and many of the surrounding towns and villages have enormous potential for the property buyer who is prepared to venture off the beaten track, away from the busy costas, and into undiscovered inland Spain. Castilla La Mancha is all set to take off in a big way – browse our selection of properties for sale in Castilla La Mancha, and see if this secret jewel of Spain is the place for you.