Camping in Guadalajara: the Alcarria, black villages and the Alto Tajo without the crowds
Guadalajara is the province of Castilla-La Mancha that comes closest to Madrid in kilometres, but moves furthest away from it in pace and landscape. Its territory is enormously varied: from the arid moorlands of southern La Mancha to the beech and oak woods of the Sierra de Ayllón in the north, by way of the Alcarria of beehives and lavender and the grand canyon of the Alto Tajo. It is a perfect destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle without going too far from the centre of the country.
The black villages of the Sierra de Ayllón — Majaelrayo, Campillejo, El Espinar, Umbralejo — are among the most distinctive corners of the province. Built entirely of dark slate, with roofs, walls and floors of the same material, they create a particular atmosphere that contrasts with the beech and oak woods surrounding them. In autumn, when the Tejera Negra beech wood turns gold and red, the landscape is of exceptional beauty. The Hayedo de Tejera Negra natural park is one of the southernmost beech woods in Europe and one of the most visited in Castilla-La Mancha during the autumn colour season.
The Alcarria, immortalised by Camilo José Cela in his famous journey of 1946, is a territory of undulating plateaus, ravines and villages that seem frozen in time. Pastrana, with its collegiate church and its Flemish tapestries, and Brihuega, capital of Spanish lavender, are the cultural landmarks of the district. The Brihuega lavender festival in July draws thousands of visitors who photograph the purple fields in full bloom, but outside that weekend the area returns to its usual tranquillity.
The Alto Tajo is Guadalajara's great natural area and one of the least-known spots in the interior of the Peninsula. The Tagus, before becoming the great river that crosses Toledo and Portugal, runs here hemmed in between limestone walls up to two hundred metres high, surrounded by savin junipers, junipers and Scots pines. The absence of mass tourist infrastructure means this natural park retains an unusual solitude and authenticity. The hiking routes through the gorges, the viewpoints over the canyon and the stretches of river where you can swim in summer are the main attractions for active campers.
Sigüenza, the province's great historic city, deserves an unhurried visit. Its Romanesque-Gothic cathedral, its medieval castle converted into a national parador and its limestone old town are among the best preserved in Castile. Guadalajara's gastronomy has as its most representative dishes the Alcarria migas with chorizo, Alcarria honey with protected designation of origin, roast kid and wild mushrooms from the sierra. Sleeping under the stars in this corner of the plateau, listening to the silence of the Tagus canyons, is an experience worth the detour.
