After a 17 day visit to Scandinavia in May, I (plus Hubby and another couple) will fly to Madrid and stay in Toledo for 5 days. We will be staying in an apartment in the center of town. We will have a car as the apartment has a parking space.

One of the days we plan to take a day trip to the "Land of Don Quixote". We would like to visit a winery (or two) that day. Does anyone have any suggestions on wineries? Most research indicates that reservations must be secured in advance. We live in the Sierra foothills wine area of CA and prefer reds.

Tentative plans to visit Consuegra to see the windmills that day. Any other towns or sights we should visit?

Also, any hidden gems in Toledo? Restaurants for tapas, sights, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any advise.

Aranjuez Palace and Chinchon. Chinchon was the filming location of the bull fighting scene from the 1956 movie "Around the World in Eighty Days." The square is preserved like you see in the the 1956 movie.

Put La Mancha Wines into Google. It's a vast area that produces 50% of all Spanish wine. To the south of Toledo is Almagro, an historic town with a Parador.

You'll want to visit Bodegas Condesa de Leganza (www.bodegasleganza.com) and Finca Loranqu (www.fincaloranque.com).

For restaurants in Toledo try Locum (www.locum.es) and of course, you don't want to miss Restaurante Adolfo (http://www.grupoadolfo.com/restaurante-adolfo.html). Restaurante Hierbabuena has a nice Gastrobar for tapas, lunch or dinner. There is also Los Cuatro Tiempo.

For tapas you can try El Treol, Kiosko Base and El Caprichito.

If you want to drive over to Talavera de la Reina to do a little shopping, then there is a nice restaurant in Lagartera where you can have lunch, Restaurante Llares (www.llares.com).

Visit the medieval castle next to the windmills. Loved those windmills.

Also, take some time to walk around the actual town. When I was there, some sort of festival was going on with wooden stalls and buildings set up in a long grassy tree-lined area with music, food and drink! All sorts of rides for the kids, vendors, everything! I don't know if it was a special event or an ongoing thing.

Roam the back streets of Toledo in the evening -- broodingly evocative, IME!

And don't miss Toledo's Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz.

Enjoy!

Thank you for all the suggestions. We are looking forward to this stopover, especially Toledo at night when all the day trippers are gone.

I think people, who speak English, would stop confusing the use of the words "advise" and "advice". Yes, it is irritating!

Get over it, Robert. It was probably a typo or autocorrect on the OP's post.

Is that really what irritates you most in life?

Must be nice to be you and have your life.

Yes, I realized my mistake shortly after I posted the thread. I am sorry that it irritated Robert2533. I am sure my son, who is a journalist, is rolling his eyes at me.

I can't imagine staying in Toledo for 5 NIGHTS but.....!

Oh yes, let's not make typo mistakes!)-; Myself not perfect at the keyboard. Growing older btw I may wonder how many daily mistakes DW will tolerate!

Yeah, I was wondering about the five nights in Toledo...but it does have charm. Surely you will explore other cities along with wineries.

Actually, four nights/five days. We have a car so we can explore the area. It is at the end of a very intensive 17 days in Scandinavia. We want to sit a spell, drink wine on the apartment balcony, wander the streets of Toledo and savor the atmosphere. As for visiting wineries, oh yea. We have traveled the world visiting wineries!

I guess you will have time to wander! I remember getting quite lost in the narrow streets-almost panicked,quite claustrophobic but eventually just followed a kid on a scooter and came out close to the house of El Greco!