Easy hikes and walks in Reserva Natural De La Laguna De Salicor

Return to the town of Campo de Criptana

Interesting

These iconic mills are symbols of Campo de Criptana and all of Castilla-La Mancha. Its blades preside over the life of the town of La Mancha from above. The mills are of the “tower” type, built in masonry and whitewashed with lime. They have a circular plan pierced with small windows, which served as a guide for the orientation of the wind. This indicated where to turn the conical cover so that its blades could take advantage of the wind as desired. Each mill has three floors: the upper one with the grinding stones and the lower ones for storage and packaging. The oldest mills, such as the Sardinero, Burleta and Infante, have been standing since the 16th century and preserve their original mechanism. There are also more modern mills, such as the Inca Garcilaso, the Cariari, the Vicente Huidobro, the Pilón, the Lagarto, the Culebro and the Poyatos, which date back to 1900. Currently, some of these mills can be visited, such as the Molino Infante, the Burleta, the Culebro (which houses the Sara Montiel Museum), the Quimera (which houses the town's Holy Week Museum) and the Poyatos Mill (current tourist information point). The others are closed to the public. I hope you enjoy exploring these iconic windmills! 😊

Also beautiful to look at at dusk

The mills are located on a hill. You imagine they are the giants that Don Quixote fought against. Site of cultural interest.

The Convent, as it is known in Campo de Criptana, is a small church that was the seat of the Discalced Carmelite community and is built on what was the old hermitage of Santiago ceded by the City Council in 1528. The Carmelites were in Campo de Criptana from 1598 to 1835 when it appeared on Mendizábal's list of assets to be confiscated. The building underwent an important reform in the 18th century made possible by the local presbyter Josehp Arias Jamones. It is to these works that the building owes much of its current appearance. In 1940 a new bell tower was added on the project carried out by another Cryptanian, Enrique Alarcón.

A small hermitage whose history goes back to the 15th century. At least that is how it is recorded in the Visiting Books of the Order of Santiago, which also tell us about a vaulted building. Virtually nothing remains of its original construction due to multiple reconstructions. What does remain is the name and veneration of the Roman saint and convert who became a patron against the plague. Hence, in the 16th century the cult of San Sebastián spread in many towns.

The square features the Xema Teno monument, an interpretation with three free-standing crosses, on the outside of the square, which can be seen from all points of La Virgen street