Day Sixteen

Toledo to Tembleque (65 km)

Forget yesterday’s warehouses and wastelands: today we head out into the wild blue yonder, entering the lands made
famous by Miguel de Cervantes’s eternal Don Quijote. Most of today’s route follows the Ruta del Quijote (which we last
rode on between Atienza and Sigüenza, so be sure to keep your eyes open for the forest-green Ruta markers which are
attached to houses and wooden posts along the route. Mountain bikers who are interested in doing more kilometres may
choose to follow the Ruta del Quijote path that links Mora with Tembleque; be aware, though, that this adds another 30
kilometres to the day. If it’s been raining or the paths are muddy, don’t use the Ruta paths between Nambroca and
Mascaraque; it’s safer and more direct to stay on the CM400 regional road that runs parallel to the A42 motorway.

 km You need to…

 0.0 Exit the parking lot of the Castillo San Servando youth hostel and follow the street downhill to the Puente de Alcántara
gate.
 0.2 Turn LEFT onto Camino de la Rosa. You should have the old town of Toledo and the Tagus River on your right. Note that
this road is fairly busy; you may find it easier to ride on the sidewalk in places to get the traffic off your back.)
 3.0 At the second large turnoff to the left, you’ll see a Ruta marker on the side of a white house. Turn LEFT and follow the
Ruta del Quijote markers up and behind (we’ve marked this with stickers, but they may not still be on the posts!)
 4.7 The road forks at the turnoff to a country club. Take the LEFT road.
 5.0 The road forks again; take the dirt road on the LEFT to continue on the Ruta de Quijote. Watch for cars!
 6.8 Dirt road merges with a paved road; turn RIGHT.
 7.7 Another fork in the road! Take dirt path LEFT into Cobisa.
 7.9 Turn LEFT onto Camino de Honda and continue into Cobisa.
 8.6 Four-way intersection; go towards the parking lot (slight left) and when you reach the parking lot, walk your bike through
the alleyway on the right to get to the Plaza Mayor. Ride through to the other side of the Plaza, and turn RIGHT onto c/
Infanta Elena.
 9.0 Ruta del Quijote turns RIGHT onto c/ de las Eras at small chapel.
 9.3 Second fork – take dirt path on LEFT (lined with small trees)
 11.0 After going over a small rise and downhill, Ruta del Quijote turns left and heads towards Burguillos de Toledo.
/ 13.7 Ruta goes through subdivision and jags left before turning RIGHT onto Camino de la Piscina, going past a park and
through a parking lot.
 13.9 Turn LEFT onto c/ Ajofrín, after the parking lot; keep going straight to get to the Plaza Mayor (bars/supermarket)
 14.6 To get out of the Plaza Mayor, take c/Palma (beside bars/church) out to the end and turn RIGHT onto c/Casas Viejas.
After 150 metres, on the left-hand side of the road, you’ll see a small ramp going down to an alleyway; turn off to the
alleyway to get onto c/ Nambroca.
 15 Turn LEFT onto c/ Nambroca and continue straight past the houses.
 15.7 Go under N401 highway and when you come out the other side, take path going to RIGHT to follow Ruta del Quijote
 18.8 Just before you reach Nambroca, the Ruta reaches a crossroads. If it’s been raining, go right to go through Nambroca. If
you want to keep riding offroad on the Ruta, go right. (This sheet will assume you’re doing the latter.)
 23.2 Just before you get to a series of hills with a wind farm, you’ll reach a Ruta del Quijote rest stop (shade, water.) The path
then goes to the LEFT (so that you have the wind farm on your right.)
 28.8 Ruta goes under motorway just before Almonacid de Toledo.
 29.8 ALMONACID DE TOLEDO – do NOT follow Ruta del Quijote signs if you don’t want to go up to the abandoned castle.
Instead, take c/Ángel to the church and then follow c/ Iglesia out to the CM400.
 30.5 Turn RIGHT onto CM400.
 34.8 Turnoff to MASCARAQUE (water, bars, restaurant). Go through town on c/ Toledo.
 35.7 Route rejoins CM400
 38 Turnoff to MORA (water, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, accommodation). If you don’t need to stop for anything, keep
going ahead on the CM400.
 40.8 Roundabout – take LEFT-hand road (CM410) to get to Tembleque.
 41.8 Fork in highway; take RIGHT-hand road to continue to Tembleque
 53 Turnoff to Finisterre reservoir. Keep going straight to continue to Tembleque.
 64.6 TEMBLEQUE – Turn LEFT on c/ Iglesia (second-last left before you reach the eastern end of town)
 65.1 PLAZA MAYOR , TEMBLEQUE
 Day Sixteen
Toledo to Tembleque (65 km)
Start point: Castillo de San Servando youth hostel
(39º 51’ 37.66”N, 4º 00’ 55.38” W)

Where to get food and water: No problems here: There are bars,
restaurants and supermarkets in Cobisa, Nambroca, Mora and Mascaraque
(bar only.)

How to get there: Toledo can be reached by hourly bus from Madrid’s
Mendez Álvaro bus station (Metro/RENFE Cercanías Mendez Álvaro.) Be
aware that Toledo is not connected to any other rail line save the Madrid-
Toledo line. You cannot take bikes onto trains linking the two cities.

Keep in mind: There may be times when taking secondary roads and
regional highways may be easier than taking the Ruta del Quijote. Don’t try
to take the Ruta between Nambroca and Almonacid if it’s been raining; the
mud and clay is mind-blowing. Similarly, the Ruta takes some weird and
frustrating turns between Almonacid and Mascaraque; it’s a lot more direct
just to take the CM400.

What to see: Even if you don’t feel like having lunch there, El Patio
Manchego restaurant in Mascaraque (Plaza de la Constitución 12, 925-
316-051) is a sight to behold: a caravanserai dating back to the late 18th
century, it’s got a decent bar and has a good menú del día during the week.
History buffs won’t want to miss the chance to ride up to the castle in
Almonacid de Toledo – on a clear day you think that you’ll be able to see
forever!

Where to sleep: If you’d prefer to break the day into two parts, there are
two decent accommodation options in Mora: Hostal-Restaurante Los
Conejos (c/ Canovas de Castillo 16, phone 925-301-504, €55 double) and
Hostal Agripino (Plaza del Príncipe de Asturias 8, phone 925-300-000,
€40 double). In Tembleque, we stayed at the friendly and bright Casa Rural
El Balcón de la Mancha (Plaza de la Orden 8, 925-145-849 or mobile 615-
473-038), run by Ángel and Sagrario, who gladly accommodated us as
drop-ins.