Ciudad Real is a useful base for exploring La Mancha, with three excursions standing out. Almagro, 25 km southeast, is one of the most beautiful small towns in central Spain — its arcaded Plaza Mayor and the 17th-century Corral de Comedias, the only original Spanish open-air theatre still in use, are worth the trip alone.
Consuegra, an hour north, is the postcard windmill scene: a row of nine restored mills standing in a line along a ridge above the town, with a castle at the end. Tablas de Daimiel National Park, 30 km north, is a vast wetland reserve where migrating birds gather in spring and autumn. The water level fluctuates dramatically with the seasons — call ahead in dry months.