In Villamalea, hiking trails meet a variety of landscapes and cultural highlights: a spring-fed lagoon, traditional structures in the Huertas and a natural swimming pool in a gorge. There is also the Baroque Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación, guided winery tours and a festival date on 15 August. When planning your trip, it is worth choosing your main focus first—birdwatching, hiking, architectural heritage or a specific date.
Hiking between the lagoon and the Huertas
The PR-AB 42 Paseo por las Huertas begins in the village of Tabaqueros and leads to a lagoon fed by spring water. It is considered a good place to observe local birdlife. This gives the route a different focus from a hike centred on a single natural attraction or the length of the trail: here, the lagoon and birdwatching are part of the experience.
The trail also passes through various Huertas with traditional structures. These include masonry, rammed earth and adobe, as well as bread ovens, gardeners’ houses and water channels. This variety also makes the route interesting for travellers who pay attention to the built cultural landscape while hiking. The different construction methods and features can be viewed as part of a coherent landscape, rather than focusing solely on a single attraction.
Comparing two circular routes
The PR-AB 40 Cueva de los Ãngeles is an easy 12.8-kilometre circular hiking trail leading to the Cueva de los Ãngeles. It starts and ends at the spring by the San Antón hermitage in the municipality of Villamalea. The PR AB-41 Tollo de la Tortuga-Tamayo is also a circular route; it is 12 kilometres long and rated as easy. The routes are similar in length, so their respective destinations can also help you decide: the cave on the PR-AB 40 and the Tollo de la Tortuga on the PR AB-41.
The area around the Cueva de los Ãngeles is known for its turquoise water. The protected natural site has been restored to make access easier and ensure its preservation. Conditions on the PR-AB 40 may vary, and access conditions to the cave can also change. Check both before setting out. The Tollo de la Tortuga, a natural swimming pool in a gorge, lies along the PR AB-41. The route passes through areas classified as Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs). Thus, the two circular routes differ not only slightly in length, but also in their stated natural attractions and their course through protected areas.
Church, winery and festival date
Villamalea is home to the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación, a Baroque monument designated a Bien de Interés Cultural. This offers a different reason to visit for those interested in architecture and cultural heritage than the hiking trails do. A guided winery tour is another option: Bodegas SAAC in Villamalea offers tours throughout the year.
The Carrera de Camas takes place on 15 August as part of Villamalea’s patron saint festivities in honour of the Virgen de la Asunción. If this date matters to your trip, check the event dates for your planned visit. This distinguishes the festival from the winery tours available year-round and the hiking destinations.
Getting there and places to stay
Villamalea is 63 kilometres from Albacete and can be reached via the CM-3201 road. When looking for a hotel in Villamalea, you can use your planned activities to help narrow down your choice: are you mainly interested in one of the circular hiking routes, architectural heritage or a guided winery tour? For a specific accommodation, check its location in relation to the places you want to visit and its availability for your travel dates. This lets you match your accommodation to your own itinerary without combining the different destinations into a single programme.
Discover more destinations: Villalgordo Del Júcar, Letur, El Morrión, Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, Cenizate, Ayna, Casas De Juan Núñez, Alcaraz
For the broader travel overview: Albacete.
