Tasting manchego cheese route

• Address: Ctra. Alarcos a Corral de Calatrava, km. 4,5. 13195 – Poblete (Ciudad Real)
• Opening hours: From Friday to Sunday (from 12:00 to 13:30 hours), advance booking is required. Check other timetables and days.
• GPS: 38.910965, -4.076449
• Phone: +34 647 505 434
• Email: quetal@fincafuentillezjos.com
• web: go to main web
• Access:     Accessibility 
• Languages: Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese.
• Nivel de interés: 5
• Description: The history of our farm and our organic manchego cheese goes back over fifty years ago. Many of you will ask why the name of Fuentillezjos, which was named by the Arabs, “place with many springs”. We are located in the municipal district of Poblete (Ciudad Real), in the heart of Calatrava Land. From over fifty years our family takes care of this unique surrounding environment, at the bottom of Volcano named “La Posadilla” and in front of the Guadiana River Meanders. On the farm, with over 300 hectares, you will be able to meet over 2000 sheeps (first ecological cattle in teh province of Ciudad Real),and also learn how is the elaboration of the first Organic DOP Manchego Cheese in the world.
• Main product: Organic Manchego Cheese
• Main offer: 

• Basic Pack: From 14 € (between 4 and 10 people)  

Advance booking is required. Children until 14 years old 50% discount. Free of charge for children until 4 years old (without tasting)

Description of the activity  – Visit to the cheese factory

– Visit to the cattle, specially, to the newborn sheeps

– Access to the tasting room to try its organic cheeses

• Resident’s tip: In front of this cheese factory we can  find one of the most important volcanic monuments in Ciudad Real, Maar (low relief volcanic crater) of “La Posadilla” (or “La Posadilla Lake”). This visit is complemented with the visit to the Arqueological Site of Alarcos, which is closed to the farm. Highly recommended visit for families
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• Address: Ctra. de Poblete a Alarcos, Km 2,2. 13195. Poblete (Ciudad Real)
• Opening hours: Visits from Monda to Friday, between 09:00 and 13:00 hours. Duration of the visit: 1 hour (previous reservation is required). Please consult for weekend visits.
• GPS: 38.945751, -4.010369
• Phone: +34 926 21 07 14
• Email: info@quesosvilladiego.com
• Web: ir a la web
• Access:     Accessibilidadty
• Languages: Spanish and English

• Level of interest: 5
• Description: Villadiego Farm is located on the slope of Alarcos Castle, in Ciudad Real, being part of this historical site, where it was held the Battle of Alarcos, on July 19, 1.195, when chistians were expulsed by the Islamic Army. The survival chistians, with the rest of the population, retrieted though the Guadiana valley to Toledo (the famous saying “Take Villadiego’s way” comes from this historical moment), leaving Alarcos village to the muslims, which destroyed this city and its fortifications. Another historical characteristic of this farm is a reference in the novel “Don Quixote of La Mancha”, in the XXI Chapter. It is unknown the date of foundation, existing documents that speak about Villadiego in 1840. In the beginning the shepherd, who takes care of sheeps, was in charge of milking them and elaborating the traditional manchego cheese. We still keep the old tools used in this dates, with the aim of opening a small museum dedicated to the Manchego Cheese evolution.
• Main product: Quesos Villadiego elaborate the authentic handcraft  manchego cheese, keeping the authenticity in its raw materials and elaborating our cheeses with only Manchega breed sheep’s raw milk, one of the cattle breeds that keeps, nowadays, its purity
• Main offer: Guided visit to the cheese factory and cattle + cheese tasting: 4€

Guided visit to the cheese factory and cattle + cheesetasting and a glass of wine: 5 €

It is required a minimum of 10 people

• Resident’s tip: Closed to this cheese factory is placed the Arqueological Site of Alarcos (https://cultura.castillalamancha.es/patrimonio/parques-arqueologicos/alarcos), where we can find remains from the Bronze Age to the Medieval times, and the Virtual Route of the Battle of Alarcos, which begins in the village of Poblete and ends in Alarcos, going through Villadiego Farm
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• Address: Calle de las Monjas, 12, 13200. Manzanares (Ciudad Real)
• Opening hours:

  Winter

  – From Tuesday to Friday, from 11:00 until 14:00 and from 17:00 until 20:00 hours.

  – Saturday, from 10:00 until 14:00 and from 17:00 until 20:00 hours.

  – Sunday and public holidays, from 10:00 until 14:00 hours.

  – Closed on Mondays (also on public holidays).

  Summer

  – From Tuesday to Friday, from 12:00 until 14:00 and from 17:00 until 21:00 hours.

  – Saturday, from 11:00 until 14:00 and from 17:00 until 21:00 hours.

  – Sunday and public holidays, from 11:00 until 14:00 hours.

  – Closed on Mondays (also on public holidays).

• GPS: 38.981818 -3.933568
• Phone: +34 926 61 40 56
• Email: museodelquesomanchego@manzanares.es
• Web: go to main web
• Access:   Accessibility
• Languages: Spanish.
• Level of interest: 4
• Description: The first museeum dedicated to Manchego Cheese in the worlk invites you to a creative tour through the use of photographs, audiovisual montages and utensils used by cattles and cheese makers, that underscored notony the historic relevance of the cattle in our area but also the characteristics and elaboration process of Manchego Cheese, in the past and present, crafted or industrial. Its different spaces – winery, stables, jaraiz (place where grapes are pressed), warehouses, kitchen, rooms, dining rooms and transit areas – make the different with other museums.

  This museum has several rooms around the yard. The rorom named “Manzanares, land of shepherds”, that show us the historic relevance of this crossroads and livestock trails targeted to the Merino sheep migrating, important income in the past. The following room “Past, present and future”, show us how Manchego Cheese was made and its evolution.

  The old “jaraíz” of the winery is now a Tasting Room, where you can identify and taste a D.O.P. Manchego Cheese.

  This museum has also a conference room and a shop where it is possble to buy D.O.P. Manchego Cheese, white wine from the city and different souvenirs.

•  Main product: History of Manchego Cheese and art collection “Cheese in the art and literature”
• Main offer:

  Free or guided* visit: Free entry

  Optional: Visit including a taste of 1 kind of Manchego Cheese (D.O.P.) + water or glass of white wine: 1,00 euro/people (VAT included)

  * Manchego Cheese Museum and Art Collection offers guided visits under previous request, at least, 15 days in advance. Confirmation is necessary, through the following telephone number or/and e-mail address: +34 926 61 40 56 – museodelquesomanchego@manzanares.es)

  * Guided visits are organised by the Tourist Office of Manzanares:

  https://www.turismomanzanares.com/ 

• Resident’s tip: Ideal for visiting in family, this museum is located in Manzanares, that also deserves a visit
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• Address: Calle Postas, 8. 13001. Ciudad Real
• Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays (from 08:00 to 14:30 hours), thursdays and Fridays (from 17:00 to 20:30 hours)
• GPS: 38.985127, -3.930193
• Phone: +34 926 22 92 40 / 666 21 70 94
• Email: mercado@ayto-ciudadreal.es
• Web: go to main web
• Access:   Accessibility
• Languages: Spanish.
• Level of interest: 4
• Description: The orchard of the marquis was the old name of this area (located at 8 Postas street) where is placed the present Food Market of Ciudad Real, designed by the municipal architect José Arias Rodríguez-Barba. It was building thanks to the City Major José Maestro San José, who, during his tenure (1931-1934), made a great work of modernistion for the city, mainly, on education and sanitation.

This building, dated in 1934 and masterpiece of the Art Decó in Castilla La Mancha, is in 2002 deeply reshaped by the municipal architect Emilio Velado, removing the architectonical barriers and becoming accesible for dissabled people, keeping the market on the ground floor and transforming the rest ol the building into municipal offices.

• Main product: We can find all kind of manchego products, with shops specializing in manchego cheese and other local cheeses (Don Apolonio and Villajos cheese factories)
• Main offer: Diferent market stands that offer seasonal goods
• Resident’s tip: It is always interesting the visit to the municipal market of the city you are visiting. In this case, it is interesting not only visiting the actual market but also the remodelated part of this building made in 2002, specially the main entrance and the inner courtyard

• Opening hours: La cata se puede realizar a cualquier hora y día. Consultar horarios
• Phone: +34 600 47 13 67
• Email: elemparrao@jfbuitrong.es
• Web: go to main web
• Access:    
• Languages: Spanish and English
• Level of interest: 4
• Description: José Fernando Buitrón, “el Emparrao”, offers guided tastings of several products and organises gastronomic events
• Main product: It is offered guided tastings for groups of several products from La Mancha: wine, olive oil, cheese, Aubergine from Almagro, etc.

This tastings are offered in different restaurants and spaces of the city, depending on the product and number of participants.

• Main offer: Guided tasting: “Manchego Cheese and the evolution of the cheese”
• Resident’s tip: Ideal activitiy for groups. Leave you to be adviced by this Manchega Gastronomy Guru
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• Address: Avda. del Rey Santo, 3. 13001. Ciudad Real.
• Opening hours: De martes a sábados, de 12:00 a 17:00 y de 20:00 a 23:30 horas. Domingos sólo horario de mañanas.
• GPS: 38.982242, -3.930156
• Phone: +34 926 92 13 68
• Email: direccion@eltenteenpie.com
• Access:    Accessibility
• Languages: Spanish.
• Level of interest: 4
• Description: The chef Álvaro Madrigal Galiana has attended the best hotel management schools, including the Hotel Management School of Toledo, working with the  best chefs, and completing internships in Spain and abroad. After four years specialitation studies at the Higher School of Gastronomy and Hotel Management, he remained there as a coach four years longer. 

  In his restaurant, La Soga Bar, with a peculiar aesthetic and decoration, offers an informal meal, with a reasonable prize and always using fresh food. Its tapas, ready meals, salads, traditional meats, etc. respect their own texture, flavour and nutritional values. Traditional cuisine (regarding recipes and products) but with an extra modern value, 

  Among its main specialities we can find tripes with chickpeas, “Pochas” (beans) with clams, “Pinesas” (local beans), marmitako (stew with tuna and potatoes) or game meat recipes.

• Main products: Market cuisine, traditional stews and Manchega avant-garde cuisine
• Main offer: Tasting Menu of 5 dishes, with Manchego Cheese and local olive oil, paired with excellent quality wines for 26.50 €
• Resident’s tip: Taste one of its traditional stews
• Follow our main social media: Facebook – Instagram

• Address: Avda. del Rey Santo, 8. 13001. Ciudad Real
• Opening hours: From Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:00 to 24:00 (Sunday only mornings time).
• GPS: 38.982363, -3.930086
• Phone: +34 926 011 616 / 610 436 406
• Email: latitudciudadreal@gmail.com / diegomorales.225@gmail.com
• Access:     Accessibility
• Languages: Spanish.
• Level of interest: 4
• Description: Chef Diego Morales presents us a product-based cuisine, in which tradition is mixed with new trends, resulting in innovative dishes that do not lose their essence.
• Main product: Specialising in Manchega Fusion Cuisine and game meats. Wide range of wines
• Main offer: Tasting menu elaborated with cheese recipes dishes paired with local wines
• Resident’s tip: Don’t leave the restaurant without trying some of the winning tapas in the Ciudad Real Tapas Competition, which has won in several editions.
• Follow our main social media: Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

• Address: Calle Palma, 10. 13001. Ciudad Real
• Opening hours: From Mondays to Saturdays, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 20:30 hours (Saturdays only morning time. Closed on Sundays)
• GPS: 38.983989, -3.925212
• Phone: +34 926 23 21 52
• Email: lacasadelquesova@gmail.com
• Access:  
• Languages: Spanish.
• Level of interest: 3
• Description: Gourmet Shop located in the centre of Ciudad Real specialized in Manchego Cheese
• Main product: Manchegos cheese.
• Main offer: You can buy not only manchego cheese but also other traditional products from La Mancha: cured game meat, vegetable preserves (as Aubergines from Almagro), pulses (Pinesa beans from Malagón) traditional sweets and a wide range of wines
• Resident’s tip: They prepare gift baskets with different local products, adaptable in prices

• Address: Calle Postas, 14. 13001. Ciudad Real.
• Opening hours: From Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 until 14:00 and from 18:00 until 20:30 hours (Saturdays only in morning time. Closed on Sundays)
• GPS: 38.983917, -3.930995
• Phone: +34 665 54 82 61
• Email: gloriabenditacr@gmail.com
• Web: go to main web
• Access:  
• Languages: Spanish.
• Level of interest: 3
• Description: Gourmet shop in the centre of Ciudad Real with a wide offert of local and traditional quality products
• Main products: All kind of Manchego Cheese, gourmet products, iberian ham, wines, pulses,legumbres, marmalades, cured game meat, etc.
• Resident’s tip: They prepare gift baskets with different local products, adaptable in prices
• Follow our main social media: Facebook – Instagram