The best MTB trails around Embalse Finisterre

What to see in La Guardia (Toledo) Palace-House of the Jaenes (Ethnological Museum) Church of Our Lady of the Assumption Hermitage of the Holy Child Historic town center and castle ruins Cave houses and dwellings carved into the rock Natural surroundings of the Cedrón Stream and the La Guardia Lagoon Wineries and wine from the Campo de La Guardia region Main Square

La Guardia is considered a small town, but surprisingly rich in heritage, ideal for a peaceful getaway from Madrid or Toledo. Its hilltop location affords panoramic views, streets steeped in history, and a distinctive character. Although it seems like a town you could visit in a morning, it holds more history, architecture, and scenery than meets the eye. Furthermore, it's part of a renowned wine-producing region: within its boundaries lies the Pago Campo de La Guardia vineyard, a wine with a protected designation of origin, adding value for wine tourism enthusiasts.

Located in the town center of Manzaneque, opposite the Town Hall, in the province of Toledo, its construction is primarily attributed to Don Íñigo de Ávalos (15th century), although the heraldic shields of earlier lineages (Figueroa and Orozco) suggest a possible earlier foundation. In the 14th century, it was owned by Doña María de Orozco and her husband, Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa. It later passed to Ávalos, and in 1487 was acquired by Álvarez de Toledo, secretary to the Catholic Monarchs. Abandoned and in ruins after the 16th and 17th centuries, it was restored in the early 20th century and remodeled in the 1970s, becoming a Site of Cultural Interest in 1985.

Numerous hiking and cycling routes border the reservoir: A circular route from Tembleque, crossing the Sierra de Algodor (~15 mi / 24 km), moderate difficulty, panoramic views, and picnic spots. A mountain bike route from Mora or Turleque to the shore, approximately 13–14 mi (~22 km), ideal for mountain bikes. The shoreline offers viewpoints, peninsular islands accessible in summer, and areas of Mediterranean woodland contrasting with the surrounding cereal fields.

It is located in the municipalities of Tembleque, Mora, Villanueva de Bogas, and Turleque (Toledo), about 5 km from Villanueva de Bogas, on the Algodor River, a tributary of the Tagus. Declared a Wildlife Refuge in September 2020, it boasts high biodiversity, especially of waterfowl and birds of prey.

Located in the Plaza de la Constitución, in the historic Town Hall in the Neo-Mudéjar style, designed by Ezequiel Martín Martín and built between 1927–1928, with a striking brick facade, masonry panels, horseshoe arches and ceramic decorations, culminating in a circular tower topped with a bulbous dome (tiled, from 1930).

The hermitage was built to house the only image saved from the fire that destroyed the parish church on April 23, 1521, during the Revolt of the Comuneros of Castile. This surviving carving was moved from the old chapel dedicated to Saint Christopher, leading to the change of dedication to Our Lady of La Antigua. At the end of the 16th century, it was completely rebuilt in the popular Toledo Baroque style, using threshing floor bricks and quartzite and lime masonry. During the Peninsular War, the French set fire to the hermitage, destroying much of the image; only the original head was preserved, which is now located at the feet of the current carving from 1955.

The Casa de los Jaenes Ethnological Museum is located in La Guardia (Toledo), inside a historic 18th-century building known as the House of the Inquisition or the House of Don Eulogio. Construction: Commissioned by Sebastián de Huerta, Secretary General of the Inquisition, in the 18th century. Style: Baroque with Mannerist details. Highlights: Monumental stone doorway with two levels and the Jaenes coat of arms. Columned courtyard with Tuscan columns and wooden walkways. Declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 1991.