12th Stage
Las Pedroñeras – El Toboso (31,2 km)
Leave Pedroñeras through Fermín Mota street, continue along Juan Carlos I avenue, with a central promenade, cross the N-301, go straight on for about 20 metres and turn right to continue along a dirt track that leaves the garlic Fairgrounds and ends in an asphalted track, turn left and, without leaving it, enter El Pedernoso. Up to this point, there have been 8 kilometres between vineyards.
EL PEDERNOSO
Enter through Tres de Mayo street, pass the church and when you reach the CM-3102 cart turn left.
It belongs to the region La Mancha Baja de Cuenca. This village is well worth a visit. It has a Town Hall with a medieval façade and arch, the Church of the Assumption and the palace of the Marquises of Garnica, known as the House of Fourteen Grilles, from the 17th century. Do not leave the village without visiting the park, a replica of the Güell park in Barcelona. For those who want to take a little break, in front of the church is the bar of the retired. Those who do the route in bicycle can approach the Camping de Celadilla, to approximately 3 km by the road of the Tables. Tel: 967164313
The festivities of the patron saints are dedicated to Santiago, Santa Ana and San Joaquín.
- Town Hall: Av. de la Constitución, s/n. Tel: 967 164 306
Leave Pedernoso along the Avenida de la Constitución, crossing the Mesas road to look for the path on the right that leads to Santa María de los Llanos. Legend has it that in a place called Cornican there is a treasure cave. About 2 kilometres before reaching Santa María de los Llanos, there is an old mill in ruins on the side of the road, overlooking the Saona stream and a dovecote.
SANTA MARÍA DE LOS LLANOS
You enter from the main street. Santa María de los Llanos is a small town in the Mancha Baja de Cuenca. It belonged to the Order of Santiago and has a church with a Romanesque apse with canecillos, a Santiago cross and scallops. This church had the Puerta del Perdón (Forgiveness Door), now walled up. In its interior is venerated Nuestra Señora de los Llanos, represented in an image of 7 centimeters carved in bronze, together with a document stamped in silk that reproduces the popular tradition: One such Don Domingo, neighbor of the Puebla del Algibe, carving one day his feat, when he arrived at the place where now is the altar of the Virgin Santa Maria the plow was blocked and when he could take it out there he found a copper image “date in the form of Santa Maria with its fixed in the inojos, which has in her only three small fingers in Santa Maria de los Llanos luengo; and a copper cross, which has eight fingers in luengo, which cross and image is in the church nowadays”. Then gives the date, the year of the Lord of 1290, being Pope Nicholas IV, King of Castile Don Sancho El Bravo, Master of Santiago Don Pedro Fernandez Mata and prior of Uclés Fray Yagüe.
- Town Hall: Mayor, 1. Tel: 969 137 072
- Rural House “El Calvario”: Mayor, 40. Tel: 967 187 084
You leave Santa María de los Llanos through Pozo Abajo street. The path, always heading west and without taking into consideration those who cross it, leaves some quarries on the right. The windmills on the right will serve as a reference, descending between turns and revolts until entering Mota.
MOTA DEL CUERVO
You enter through the old Mesas path, the Cruz Verde square (where the monument to La Cantarera is located) and the Calle Mayor.
In Mota you can visit the parish church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, from the 13th century, with a mixture of late Gothic and Levantine Mudejar. In Calle Hospital, the old Hospital de Pobres, which belonged to the Order of Santiago and was in operation until the 19th century, and the Casa de la Inquisición with a coat of arms at the door, at the confluence of the street and The Church Manjavacas. It is believed that the current town hall is above the church of a monastery. The tower is dated 1731. In the Calle Mayor Baja, the Casa de los Condes de Campillo has an important grille. The Hostal Plaza in the Cercado Alto street is a typical mansion in La Mancha, where pilgrims can recover their battered strength.
- Local Police: Tel: 608 004 250
- Town Hall: Plaza Mayor, 1. Tel: 967 180 000
- Tourism Office: Plaza Cruz Verde, 13. Tel: 697 733 683
- Hostal Rural Plaza: Calle Cercado Alto, 4. Tel: 967 180 110. Mobile: 678 555 197. E-mail: hostalplazamota@gmail.com
- Casón del Cantarero” Rural House: Calle Las Cuevas, 17. Tel: 654 877 455. casondelcantarero@gmail.com
- Hotel “Mesón de Don Quijote”: Calle Francisco Costi, 2. Tel: 967 180 200
- “Lagartija” shelter: Calle Guadalajara, 64 ground floor. Donation. Contact by Whatsapp with Ricardo on Mobile: 679 577 178. Hours 2:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Leave Mota del Cuervo on the N-301 or Calle Real Baja, leaving the Ermita de Santa Ana on the right after 300 metres. Take a road between a garage and the petrol station, on the left, which is the old El Toboso road, and always go west. The vineyard fields add a touch of colour to the landscape. This road leads to the road to the village of Pedro Muñoz, before entering the village.
EL TOBOSO
The route is marked with scallop ceramics. El Toboso is the first town in the Province of Toledo to appear on our way. It is also the oldest village in the area, which belonged to the Diocese of Uclés. At the entrance there is a chapel attached to a house dedicated to the Virgin and a well in front (XVI century), about which there is a popular saying:
Virgen morenita / who brought you to El Toboso? / He brought me a carpenter, / he put me in front of a well.
- Town Hall: Plaza de Juan Carlos I, 1. Tel: 925 197 077
- Hospedería Convento Trinitarias: Calle Padre Juan Gil, 2. Tel: 925 197 173, (Madre María). 20€ with lunch or dinner 30€. 18 places.
- El Quijote” Youth Hostel: Av. Castilla-La Mancha, 20. Tel.: 925 197 398. Double and triple rooms 14 places. 15€
- Dulcinea del Toboso Youth Hostel: Ctra Quintanar-El Toboso. Tels 925197471-609738889-680512555.110 places. Pilgrims admitted except the months of June and July.
- Hostal “El Quijote”: Av Castila-La Mancha, 20. Tel: 925 197 398
- Casa Rural “Casa de la Torre”: Antonio Machado, 16. Tel: 925 568 006
- Casa del Cómico: Ctra Miguel Esteban, 13. Tels: 925 197 509 y 607 239 448 (20€ breakfast included)
- Of. Tourism: C/ Daoíz y Velarde, 1. Tels: 925 197456 y 925 568 228
The church of San Antonio Abad belonged to the Order of Santiago, of ogival Gothic style of the XV century with additions of the XVII century, and has two magnificent porticos.
The whole village immerses you in the pages of Don Quixote, and you can visit the Casa de Dulcinea, the Cervantes library, the convent of the Trinitarias Recoletas (17th century), its streets and typical houses.
