Four destinations to discover for authentic experiences

Ávila, the walled city

A medieval city, a World Heritage Site, surrounded by a 2.5km wall and 87 towers. Part of its route can be visited on night routes dramatized by its battlements. In addition to other emblematic routes such as “in the footsteps of Santa Teresa”, the Jewish, Hebrew, Romanesque and palatial Ávila.

– Make typical sweets with your own hands. La Flor de Castilla is a famous confectionery from 1860 located in the historic center of the city, and in whose workshop the typical Yemas de Santa Teresa or Yemas de Ávila are made. How are they made? These little “bites of heaven” require getting the point of the dough and four ingredients: egg yolk, water, sugar and lemon peel. A gastronomic experience in the gourmet space Santa Teresa, where you will learn how to round the famous Santa Teresa Yemas and take them home.

– Create a heraldry with your last name. Do you want to have your own knight shield? Fun Heritage will teach you how to do it, but first you will access several palaces of the city in which the meaning of the shields of the nobles and the reason for their symbols will be explained. After that, you will make a shield with your surnames that you will take as a souvenir.

– Living the legends of Ávila, those of its poets and painters and the stories of bars, ruffians and damsels. Dramatized visits organized by Patrimonio Divertido, in which the places where some of the most popular legends of the city took place are visited, staged by actors who drag the audience to a world in which they will not know what is legend and what reality. In the taverns they will coexist with merchants, rascals and innkeepers, tasting the characteristic gastronomy of each establishment. As 2020 marks the centenary of the death of the Bécquer brothers, and both the poet and his brother the painter “lived” Ávila, you will visit it looking for the places they described and painted, with characters that will take you back to the 18th century. to enjoy tapas and taste buds.

Soria, art and nature 

The capital of the Duero is one of those “unknown” historical jewels that hides corners full of poetry (it inspired Bécquer, Machado) and natural places such as the Sierra de Urbión and Laguna Negra Natural Park or the Cañón del Río Lobos Natural Park.

– The search for mushrooms. Among the forests and pine forests is one of the largest varieties of species of mushrooms and fungi on the Iberian Peninsula, so mycology is one of the activities that can be done as a recreational, sustainable, gastronomic experience. The Navaleno Mycological Center organizes mycological workshops, introductory courses to mycology, mycological cuisine and with wild plants and mycological routes accompanied by a guide so as not to get disoriented and to identify them to analyze their scientific and gastronomic interest. To taste them, there are two Michelin star restaurants specialized in cooking them, El Baluarte, in the capital, and La Lobita, in Navaleno.

– The truffle hunt. That’s what truffles call the search for this black forest diamond, considered one of the best truffles in world cuisine. The Golden Truffle Route is an experience for the senses in which you will discover how the truffle is “hunted”, what its varieties are, and you will have the opportunity to taste it with a special menu. This activity is organized by Soria Vacations, with visits to truffle farms with an expert and truffle dogs. In the open air and for small groups to live an exclusive experience and discover the secrets of this precious delicacy, with an aroma and flavor that you will later taste in a country meal.

– By train through the corners of Machado. From May to November the “Campos de Castilla” train runs through the life scenes of the poet Antonio Machado, who he frequented during his stay in Soria. A way to discover the destination that inspired him to write his collection of poems “Campos de Castilla”, a journey through the life of the writer with surprises on board by actors and stops in picturesque villages, the Cuerda del Pozo Reservoir, the Sierra de los Picos de Urbión (the place where the Duero is born), and the famous Laguna Negra, immortalized by Machado in his poem “La tierra de Alvargonzález”.

Ciudad Real and Cuenca, experiences in the land of Don Quixote

One of the best-known prints is its windmills, the protagonists in Cervantes’s novel. Ciudad Real can be explored on foot, an advantage to discover its corners in a short time. And near the city is the Las Tablas de Daimiel natural park, a unique wetland in Europe where you can sail by boat and see many species of water birds, which use them as a stopping place or hibernation area. You can do three routes: the Isla del Pan Route, a journey through the labyrinth of water and islands through wooden walkways; the Route of the Permanent Lagoon to the entrance of the Guadiana, where there are two observatories to see the fauna; and the Route of the Prado Ancho Tower towards the northernmost area of ​​the park where there are four observatories and, at the end, a two-story tower from which to enjoy a panoramic view of Las Tablas.

For the most international manchego, Pedro Almodóvar, this land has been the setting for many of his films, so you will also discover the secrets of his filming (and of other films that were made there) as well as living experiences such as a balloon trip over the Castle of Calatrava La Nueva. Fly over the La Mancha plain and see this castle from the heights. This is the land of wine and oils, and many activities are related to these two products. At Finca Oliveta there is an oil mill and a virgin olive oil interpretation center to live an experience around this liquid gold. Starting with a guided visit to the ecological olive grove and varietal garden to learn how the olive root system works and the secrets of the culture, production and types of olive oils, and ending with a tasting paired with typical tapas.

Who does not know the famous Manchego cheese? Next to the Alarcos Archaeological Park and Laguna de la Posadilla located on a hydromagmatic explosion crater, is the Finca Fuentillezjos, where they produce organic Manchego cheese. There you can spend the day with the sheep, see how the cheeses are made in an artisanal style and, later, try them with a tasting. The cheese factory has facilities for events with kitchens, tasting rooms and outdoor spaces in this volcanic area.

Other activities are, for example, a special play for a congress at the Corral de Comedias de Almagro, and later dinner at the Parador de Almagro, teambuilding experiences and adventure in the Natural Park of the Lagunas de Ruidera or in the National Park of Cabañeros.

Cuenca is another of the corners to be explored, with its most emblematic image, the Hanging Houses, whose wooden balconies and barred windows overlook the Huécar river gorge and which houses the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art. Small-format events can be held there. After wandering through picturesque streets of colored houses and historical monuments, it is time to regain contact with nature in La Ciudad Encantada, a natural space of National Interest half an hour from the city. The journey through this place made up of rocks molded by erosion over thousands of years is more fun if reasonable similarities are identified: the Tortoise, the Man’s Face, the Fight between the Elephant and the Crocodile … Toc Toc Eventos company organizes teambuilding activities in nature to connect with the team and disconnect from the daily routine, in addition to turning them into a CSR action related to respect for the environment and sustainable practices in one of the many natural environments that surround the province of Cuenca. Even going back to the Jurassic in the Route of the dinosaurs, discovering in the Center dedicated to the Lo Hueco site, how the works of the Madrid-Valencia AVE brought to light the largest dinosaur site in Spain, 75 million years ago.