A weekend for couples: a small but grand journey for your senses

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Finca Luz De Alba is one of the first Eco-accommodations in Spain near Lagunas de Ruidera, offering travelers a unique experience centered around Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been cultivated since approximately 3500 BC. Its origins appear to be in an undetermined location in the Mediterranean Levant.

Acting as your virtual guides, we would like to propose a different kind of weekend where we can share our passion for a product deeply rooted in our Mediterranean culture. The culture of olive oil is extraordinary. Olive oil has had various uses, which we are gradually incorporating at the Estate; oil is not only tasted with the palate, but we also offer the possibility of experiencing it through the skin thanks to our natural cosmetics.

Let us begin our weekend proposal at Finca Luz De Alba, next to the Lagunas de Ruidera and the Romantic Quixote Route…

Arrival on Friday afternoon

This accommodation is located less than an hour and a half from Madrid, next to the Lagunas de Ruidera. If we assume you leave work around 3:00 PM, you could be arriving at the Estate by 6:30 PM.

After a quick check-in, you will find yourselves in a small house all to yourselves, filled with thoughtful details to make you feel at home. First, a welcome gift in a traditional esparto basket.

At your disposal, you will have a king-size bed (1.80 meters wide), a fireplace in the living room, and a bathroom with an outdoor hot tub where you can enjoy a relaxing bath by starlight and candlelight.

Around 9:45 PM, we suggest heading to Tomelloso, less than 15 minutes by car from the accommodation. Here, quite unexpectedly, you will find a restaurant that has been rated by various national media outlets as the “best pizza in the world”—yes, you heard that right. We were surprised too, but that is how amazing this land is. It turns out a Tuscan moved to Tomelloso years ago for love, bringing the world’s best recipes with him. The restaurant is called Marquinetti, and they literally say that “Pizza is haute cuisine.”

After that magnificent dinner, take a stroll under the stars around our accommodation, gazing at a completely clear sky and then… well, after that, it is up to you…

During Saturday

For the early birds, you could wake up with the dawn—the first light of day gives us our name, Luz De Alba (Dawn Light), as this moment is absolutely magical at the estate. Watching nature and wildlife wake up with the first rays is another powerful experience, after which you should recharge with a traditional breakfast where organic extra virgin olive oil, along with good local bread and quality tomatoes, is a must. Juice and a great coffee, and you are ready for adventure.

Saturday morning offers many possibilities, from staying in one of the estate’s chill-out nests for total relaxation—listening to birds, music, or finally reading that book that has been on your nightstand for weeks—to total adventure.

The estate offers bicycle rentals to explore the property’s quiet paths or to cycle to the Peñarroya Castle, where the dam of the reservoir of the same name is also located. It is a distance of about 7 km from the accommodation to the Castle.

About 25 km away by car, you have a renowned natural site at your disposal: The Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park. This natural park consists of a complex system of fifteen lagoons that span 30 kilometers, forming the Upper Guadiana Valley and, at its highest point, the source of the Guadiana River. The fifteen lagoons overflow and flood into one another, forming waterfalls and cascades due to geological formations such as travertine barriers.

At the Lagunas, you can enjoy the flight of the Bonelli’s eagle and the purple heron, see the shorthead barbel, or listen to the murmur of the water in the cascades and waterfalls.

There are various active tourism companies offering a multitude of activities such as hiking, environmental education, diving, or canoeing. There are swimming areas during the summer and excellent spots for sport fishing.

And just like that, we reach lunchtime. This glorious moment to fill your stomach after a busy morning can be enjoyed at the grills located next to the lagoons. Grilled meats are a true delicacy.

After the feast comes the siesta, of course. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the shade of a quiet tree that whispers something beautiful to you.

Around 5:30 PM–6:00 PM, head back to the Estate and be sure to visit the Oil Mill or sign up for an oil tasting accompanied by a perfect pairing: some cheese, ham, tomatoes, melon, sponge cakes, artichokes, potatoes, nuts, and of course, a local wine. Through this small journey of the senses that we offer with care, you will learn to love the exceptional and passionate world of organic extra virgin olive oil.

After this experience, if I were you, I would go rest by the fireplace in my suite, and then around 9:30 PM, I would escape to Tomelloso to a restaurant… for example, La Antigua, a very good place for sharing plates, half-portions, tapas, some gluten-free options, good wines, and excellent Manchego cheeses.

If you feel like it and have some energy left, you can go listen to some music at a cocktail bar called “El Patio.”

And now we make way for Sunday, as today has been an intense day…

Sunday morning and farewell

Now I truly recommend sleeping soundly until 11:00 AM, having a good breakfast, and exploring the Quixote Route. On this route, you can find very interesting caves that have been used for various purposes throughout history, including smuggling by local bandits.

Before you start your journey along the Route, let us say a fond farewell and thank you for coming to Finca Luz de Alba. We trust we have conveyed our love for this land and the world of olive oil, and we look forward to your return soon. And now, I will gladly mention an interesting curiosity so you don’t miss it on your way home…

Continuing with the caves, some of these appear in Don Quixote, such as the Montesinos Caves. Miguel de Cervantes had Don Quixote descend to the bottom of the cave, where he fell into a deep sleep for an hour—which seemed like three days to the character—during which he had the magical dream where he meets Montesinos himself, a recurring character in Castilian epics. This adventure in Don Quixote corresponds to chapters 22 to 24 of the second part of the novel.

For lunch, there is a very cool experience in Campos de Criptana, where visitors are offered the chance to eat at the foot of the windmills with spectacular views of La Mancha.

It is our wish that this weekend plan has captivated you, and with care and dedication, we hope to see you soon and share these eternal lands with you.

See you soon!
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