
01 Peniscola Valencia Aranjuez Toledo

This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Jordi honrubia (RouteXpert)
Last edit: 14-02-2025
stars, with the sum of everything.
Animation
Verdict
Duration
9h 11m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
518.58 km
Countries


Aranjuez by night
Valencian Community, Castilla La Mancha, Extremadura, Castilla León, Aragon and Catalonia.
There will be 6 communities in which we will spend 5 days of routes.
We left the first day from Peñiscola,
A coastal, seaside town with great Mediterranean cuisine, and also for motorcycle lovers, this year 2024 will host the XX Edition of the BMW Motorrad Days in Spain.
We leave for Naquera, a small town in Valencia that is located in the Campo de Turia region, there we will stop at El Pastoret for lunch. Famous place for its large sandwiches and plates full of food and very good. (I add link to the El Pastoret restaurant)
After leaving with a great lunch we continued towards Buñol, Requena; Utiel, which are towns that have their charms, we pass by the Mirador del Pantano de Contreras then Motilla del Palancar, then we make a brief stop at the Alarcón reservoir photos we stretch our legs and continue to a town called Honrubia where we make a brief stop because I am especially excited to call myself by the last name just like the town of HONRUBIA.
The next stop will be in Aranjuez to see the Royal Palace, its beautiful gardens, take some photos and eat at La Ribereña.
The next thing will be direct to Toledo to be able to refuel our motorcycles and rest at the hotel and do some sightseeing around Toledo.
Below I have added some information about some of the sights and places you will pass.
Náquera is a tourist town situated in the foothills of the Sierra Calderona mountain range, with a mild climate and a pleasant coolness on summer nights, it is also where I have suggested a late breakfast stop. The town center is located on a mound in the foothills of the mountain range, at an altitude of 215 m and 24 km from the Valencian capital.
The Contreras reservoir. You arrive at the southern end of the reservoir by passing through a short tunnel where you drive straight onto the dam and your eyes are met with some impressive feats of engineering. Firstly the dam, then in front and behind you tunnels carved through the jagged mountains. To your right you have views of the bridges that carry the E3 Madrid-Valencia highway over the reservoir and to your left is the Contreras Bridge, built between 1845 and 1851 by the engineer Lucio del Valle, who had to build a zigzagging road to descend the canyon. You can take this zigzagging road for some more great views of the engineering and to see the bottom of the dam.
Motilla del Palancar is a town where many important connecting routes converge so the town is accustomed to receiving travellers, whether they be passing through, or coming to spend a few days and discover the charms of the town. If you have the chance, don't miss the living Passion that takes place at Easter or the celebration of Corpus Christi, for the passing of the procession the locals cover the streets with dyed sawdust to create beautiful drawings.
Embalse de Alarcón. The second of the two reservoirs this route travels past and like the first you arrive via a tunnel directly onto the dam at the southern end. Not as spectacular as Contreras but equally as beautiful. Construction of the dam began in 1941 through the efforts of Valencian farmers who wanted to stabilise the flow of the Júcar River as irrigation in the province depends on that supply of water. Beneath the waters of the Alarcón Reservoir rest the remains of the town of Gascas, which was flooded after the building of the dam. When the water level drops, one can see traces of the streets and walls, as well as a stone wall with an arch.
Aranjuez is located in a wide valley, next to the confluence of the Tajo and Jarama rivers, bordered by a set of hills and plateaus that reach 630 meters in altitude. In addition to the natural channels, it has an extensive network of canals, irrigation ditches and historic dams that have traditionally supported irrigated crops, such as fruit trees and vegetables, among which strawberries and asparagus stand out. Aranjuez is also home to the Plaza Real de Aranjuez, one of the residences of the Spanish royal family. Located on the banks of the Tagus River, the palace is managed and maintained by National Heritage. After taking some photos of the palace I have suggested a lunch stop nearby at La Ribereña.
Toledo. Named a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986, Toledo is an outstanding museum city whose rich heritage owes almost everything to the Jews, Muslims and Christians who lived there, working and observing their religion side by side. In Toledo, time and history go hand in hand with craftsmanship, as shown by swords, pottery and damascene ware. Sword and sabre manufacturing is aimed mainly at the tourist market segment, although orders are sometimes placed by armies from around the world.
‘Damascening’ refers to an Arabic decorative craft whereby gold or silver are inlaid into less noble but tougher materials (such as iron, bronze, steel, earthenware or porcelain). It’s used to make rings, bracelets, brooches, plates, etc. The city’s streets abound with workshops and outlets turned to small bazaars, their windows filled with black steel objects etched with gold.
Ceramics lovers should not miss a trip to Talavera de la Reina (Toledo), which has numerous workshops specialising in ceramics. These include the Talavera Ceramics Centre and Adeva Cerámicas Talavera.
The prestige of Toledo’s cuisine is reflected in popular sayings like ‘Cocinero y cochero, tómalos de Toledo’ (‘For your driver and your cook, in Toledo you should look’). Game is no doubt the key to local food, which also takes advantage of top-quality ingredients like olive oil, saffron and garden produce. Deer, wild boar, wood pigeon, turtledove, quail and, of course, red-legged partridge fill the plates of those ready to sample the most traditional dishes.
I have suggested the Eurostars Toledo hotel and I have provided a link below but being a major city there are numerous options available from camping to 5 star.

Puente Toledo

Contreras Dam
Want to download this route?
You can download the route for free without MyRoute-app account. To do so, open the route and click 'save as'. Want to edit this route?
No problem, start by opening the route. Follow the tutorial and create your personal MyRoute-app account. After registration, your trial starts automatically.
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.

Castilla–La Mancha
About this region
Castilla–La Mancha (UK: , US: , Spanish: [kasˈtiʎa la ˈmantʃa] (listen)), or Castile La Mancha, is an autonomous community of Spain. Comprising the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, it was created in 1982. The government headquarters are in Toledo.
The region largely occupies the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula's Inner Plateau, including large parts of the catchment areas of the Tagus, the Guadiana and the Júcar, while the northeastern relief comprises the Sistema Ibérico mountain massif.
It is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's regions. Albacete, Guadalajara, Toledo, Talavera de la Reina and Ciudad Real concentrate the largest urban areas in the region.
Read more on Wikipedia
The region largely occupies the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula's Inner Plateau, including large parts of the catchment areas of the Tagus, the Guadiana and the Júcar, while the northeastern relief comprises the Sistema Ibérico mountain massif.
It is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's regions. Albacete, Guadalajara, Toledo, Talavera de la Reina and Ciudad Real concentrate the largest urban areas in the region.
View region
Amount of RX reviews (Castilla–La Mancha)
Amount of visitors (Castilla–La Mancha)
Amount of downloads (Castilla–La Mancha)
A 4 day tour in Spain from Bilbao to Cartagena
With a starting point just south of Bilbao, this 1,300 km tour is easy to connect to from the French border or Santander. The tour travels through some of Spain's most spectacular landscapes and visits among other things, the windmills of La Mancha, made famous in the books by Miguel de Cervantes and his character Don Quixote. The end of this 4 day tour is at Cartagena on the Mediterranean's Costa Cálida, a wonderful city that's alive with culture, history and gastronomy.
View Route Collection
4 Routes
1306.11 km
34h 55m
A 5-day tour from Peniscola visiting Toledo Merida Avila Segovia Siquenza Barcelona
A 5-route, 5-day tour of Peniscola, Aranjuez, Toledo, Consuegra, Molinos, Merida, Avila, Segovia, seguiranza and Barcelona, taking in these sites will immerse you in the rich history and culture of Spain. From stunning medieval fortresses to charming windmill villages, you will pass through picturesque roads enjoying the exquisite local cuisine and natural beauty that each place has to offer. It will be an unforgettable experience full of discoveries and unforgettable moments. Definitely a trip worth taking!
View Route Collection
5 Routes
2348.84 km
48h 45m