The Parque de los Molinos, named after the Valdepeñas-born painter Gregorio Prieto, sits on the low ridge south-west of town. Three restored La Mancha windmills stand here in the classic pose — whitewashed towers, wooden sails turning in the wind when conditions allow — with views across the plain that explain exactly why Cervantes set his novel in this landscape.
The windmills themselves are open to visit. The interior of each shows the original grinding mechanism, surprisingly compact given the scale of the outside. The ridge offers a good panorama of the town and the surrounding vineyards.
It is a fifteen-minute walk from the town centre, or a five-minute drive. Most people spend about half an hour. Come in the afternoon when the light is better for photographs and the heat has eased slightly.