Logbook · 6 places

What to see and do in Alcolea de Calatrava

What to see and do in Alcolea de Calatrava (Campo de Calatrava, Ciudad Real): 6 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Nature · 2 Activities · 1 Curiosities

When to go to Alcolea de Calatrava: festival calendar

February: Festival of Santa Escolástica (February 10)
August: Festivities of San Roque de Alcolea (August 16)

How far each place is from the centre of Alcolea de Calatrava

Towns near Alcolea de Calatrava

Spain › Castilla-La Mancha › Ciudad Real › Campo de Calatrava › Alcolea de Calatrava

What to see and do in Alcolea de Calatrava

Alcolea de Calatrava
Village
Municipality of the comarca of Campo de Calatrava, in the province of Ciudad Real, in whose district rises the Peñarroya volcano, declared a Natural Monument and one of the best preserved in the comarca's volcanic region, and the palaeontological site of Las Higueruelas, with remains of mastodons and giant tortoises preserved beneath lava flows. Since 1575, following a plague of locusts, it has held the festival of Santa Escolástica, with a procession, a distribution of alms and, in alternate years, a poetry competition dedicated to Ángel Crespo, a poet connected with the town.
Peñarroya volcano
Nature
A volcanic edifice in the municipal district of Alcolea de Calatrava declared a Natural Monument by the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, one of the best preserved in the volcanic region of the Campo de Calatrava.
Paleontological site of Las Higueruelas
Nature
A fossil-bearing deposit from the Upper Pliocene on the Las Higueruelas estate, Alcolea de Calatrava, formed in the ancient lake that occupied a volcanic caldera. It was discovered in 1935 by Casimiro Plaza, and in 1970 new remains of the mastodon Anancus avernensis were located; excavation campaigns continued in 1971, 1990 and later years. It has yielded remains of mastodons, cheetahs, rhinoceroses, gazelles, deer and giant tortoises, preserved beneath volcanic flows; part of the fossils are on display at the Museo de Ciudad Real, next to a life-size diorama recreating the period.
Festival of Santa Escolástica
Activity
A celebration instituted in 1575 following a locust plague that ravaged the comarca. It includes a procession, the handing out of charity and, in alternate years, the Ángel Crespo Poetry Competition.
Festivities of San Roque de Alcolea
Activity
Alcolea de Calatrava's summer festival in honour of San Roque, held on 16 August and extended over several days with popular calderetas and the Fiesta del Agua. On the 16th the main religious acts take place, with a solemn mass and a procession in honour of the patron saint.
Ángel Crespo, poet of Alcolea
Curiosity
The poet and translator Ángel Crespo is closely linked to Alcolea de Calatrava, which holds a biennial poetry competition in his memory.