Camino del Quijote

Camino del Quijote turns Cervantes' novel into a long ride. The loop leaves the windmill ridge above Campo de Criptana and links places that appear in Don Quixote, or that shaped his story, across the province of Ciudad Real. Riders pass vineyards and open plains, the Lagunas de Ruidera, the castle of Peñarroya and old towns such as Almagro, Villanueva de los Infantes and El Toboso. Most of it runs on farm tracks and rural dirt roads. The real test is distance, wind and heat rather than technical terrain.

It is deliberately a No Race. There is no ranking and no clock to beat, only a generous time window, stamp points along the way and a base camp halfway round where riders can eat, shower and sleep before heading back out. Riders carry what they need and look after their own repairs. Writers who rode the first edition stressed the friendships that grew between riders over the long night hours, and the hands-on care of the small organising team.

Behind it is Manu Cámara, who spent years building the Tour de Hierro bikepacking events in La Mancha before reshaping that legacy into this project. He sees cycling as a way to bring visitors into small villages, and the idea goes beyond the annual event: the route is meant to be ridden all year, with a passport of stamps from the towns along the way.