Madrid and Barcelona are the most popular destinations in Spain. Less people know about Ciudad Real, a great place for holiday. It is less crowded, but you will not get bored. Hotels are less expensive and there is no need for transportation. It is a small city so you can easily walk from one part to another.
I have spent five months there and I have
unforgettable memories. I will share with you ten fun activities to do in Ciudad
Real. I hope you will give it a chance and visit it. It is just one hour away,
by train, from Madrid. Let's go!
1. Put a friendship or a couple locker in Pilar park
Also called parque del Pilar in Spanish, it was one of my favorite parks. It is big and close to the train station. It has a small green lake and it is usually quiet. You can take pictures without people interfering. There is also a platform where you can walk to see the city from afar. You can admire it during the day or during the night. Either way, it looks beautiful. Moreover, you can place a locker with your friends or your partner to celebrate friendship and love.
2. Eat in Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is the main square and the city center. There are various restaurants where you can eat. The must-eat items are tapas, a variety of snacks from hamburger to small pizza or croissant. Tapas have all kinds of meat: pork, chicken, beef, jamón or even fish. It can also mean scrambled eggs with fried potatoes. Try them all! And don't forget about drinks which go just perfect with tapas: beer, Tinto de Verano, Sangria (wine with orange and lemon) or soda.
You should know that it costs less to eat near the bar than at the table in certain restaurants. My roommate and I used to go to El Portalon because they had an offer; we paid only for the food, while the beverages were free. Also, the servings were big and generous.
3. Indulge in Spanish dulces
Besides eating food, you should try the sweets from plaza Mayor as well. My favorite is the sweetshop - La Deliciosa. They have “pastel” which means “cake” and “dulces”, meaning “sweets”. Everything is fresh because they have their own laboratory where everything is prepared daily and sent to the shop.
4. Go shopping
Beside restaurants, bars and sweetshops, Plaza Mayor has many stores to buy clothes, shoes, bags or cosmetics. Beside the big brands like H&M, Zara and Stradivarius, there are also local stores. My favorite ones were those selling lipsticks and perfumes. I liked also the Chinese stores due to their varied merchandise (from dreamcatchers, bags to purses and photo frames). I just loved wondering around and discovering new items.
5. Watch a movie in Spanish at the cinema
In Spain, all the movies are dubbed in Spanish. You will hear the local language everywhere. The cinema from Ciudad Real is called Las Vias Parque de Ocio. Check their website to see the schedule of the latest movies available there. Get your popcorn and enjoy the experience!
6. Go to a local market during the weekend
Every weekend, there is a local market called Mercadillo de la Granja. Local sellers bring fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, cheese, as well as clothes, shoes or bags for the buyers. The prices are affordable as well. It used to be on Sunday, but now it changed to Saturday. Anyway, you may ask any local about it and they will give more info about the date and location. You can also check the local webpages for more info: MiCiudadReal and CiudadReal.
7. Dance reggaetón
Ciudad Real is famous for its nigh life. The parties are no joke. The DJ is playing reggaetón all night. Actually, Spanish people start the party at 2 a.m. and finish it in the morning, at 6 a.m. They meet at 11 p.m. in a bar, for drinks, and then go to the club.
There are many clubs to choose from, but my favorites were – La Antigua and La Mansion de Ikebana, because of their good music and atmosphere.
Do not dress too fancy in the club (with short dresses and high heels). Locals like to wear comfortable clothes like jeans and T-shirts and snickers.
8. Go to botellón
If you want to meet locals and socialize, Ciudad Real has a way of bringing strangers together. It is called botellón, a meet-up on every Thursday and Saturday where everybody is sharing alcohol. All you need is a glass and some beverages from the local supermarket. You can take you glass and go around, talking to people.
It takes place usually in the evening, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. On a Saturday night, you can go to botellón and then to the club. Ask youngsters about the location of the botellón, they know better. Also, the botellón from Saturday is better as there are more people coming.
9. Go to cervezadas
Cerveza means “beer” in Spanish, so cervezadas are parties for students, organized by universities that take place every Thursday from 16:30 to 22:00. You will recognize the organizers by the similar T-shirts that they are wearing: green, bordo, etc with a message on it. You will also recognize the freshmen because they have DICKS drawn on their face, arms, forehead or neck.
The party takes place at the pool from Playa Park. There is a DJ who turns up the atmosphere.
The entrance fee is 5 euros. You have to be prepared with some things: your friends; ice cubs (buy it with 1 euro from supermarket); alcohol (on Thursdays, many people buy it from Mercadona (local supermarket) as it is cheap there; cups/glasses.
Some personal advice: Don't wear white shoes, it will get dirty. Drink a little. You do not have to be drunk and start puking.
If you miss your teenage or university days, cervezadas are a great way to turn back time. It is a great place to have fun with your friends.
10. Visit Lagunas de Ruidera
These are not actually in Ciudad Real, but are worth seeing, because the location is close, just one hour and a half away, by car. The water is so blue. You can enjoy a picnic, take a bath and get tanned. It is great escape from the city.
The location is in a natural park where you can also see the waterfall Cascada del Hundimiento as well as Laguna del Rey and Laguna Santo Morcillo.
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