Buenos dias (good morning)!

Somehow we managed to discover a wonderful, peaceful, oasis amongst nature !…… Taking a gamble, Mark suggested we visit this region, which is off the beaten track or obvious tourist route & hardly visible on the map !
I relax & stretch out, as usual, as Bruce takes us along small winding roads ……..

Yeah ! Here we are at beautiful Los Batanes camping which is in the heart of the Laguna de Ruidera Natural Park. What a find it turns out to be too !

Our restful camp pitch, under the shade of beautiful trees, is so wonderful  that we eventually decide to stay 5 nights! It’s not school holidays yet & as you can see Bruce has chosen the perfect place to unwind!

Los Batanes camping is definitely worth a visit & boasts spotlessly clean, new amenity blocks, ultra modern laundry facilities & on our last night we dined at their restaurant & would highly recommend it too!

Another big draw card, particularly now that the weathers heating up, is the magnificent pool, which have to ourselves most afternoons.

There are 15 Lagunas (lagoons) in the nature park surrounding us.

The Lagunas de Ruidera are a group of small lakes in the Campo de Montiel, Castilla-La Mancha, between Albacete Province, and Ciudad Real Province, Spain. Most of the lakes are interconnected and their total water amount may reach 23.06 hm³, which is considerable by the standards of other lakes in the Iberian Peninsula.

The largest lakes are Laguna Colgada and Laguna del Rey. The area near the lakes is a tourist site, with small hotels, restaurants, camping sites and private villas, located mostly in or around Ruideratown.^[2]

Follow this link to Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagunas_de_Ruidera

Grab your bikes as we explore some of them today ! Are you ready?……Mark’s racing ahead!

 

There are clearly marked cycle lines on the roads and a speed limit of 30 which makes our ride safer! We absorb the spectacular, rugged, natural beauty of the area & the crystal clear, aquamarine colours of the lagoons water!

We stop at the 10km mark for a vino blanco & olives+ cheesecake !….. Meanwhile the school kids arrive & amuse us enjoying the aquatic activities here !

That is the largest SUP (stand up paddle board) we’ve ever seen ! Lots of laughs as the children try to balance & paddle!

Riding on into the tiny village of Ruidera we discover Restaurante Victoria & Mark discovers Bart from the Simpsons trying to kayak!?

More spectacular, rugged scenery on our return cycle. You can just spot the large fish in front of the log  & duck.

Ahh…..my own Natures Window!

Having clocked up 20km this afternoon, in warm 32 degrees, the camp pool (Piscina) is looking extra inviting!!

The following day, Mark rises early again for work meetings etc & by 4pm he’s keen to join me on a 12 km hike around the Lagunas( lagoons) near us !
Sometimes his meetings are held outside at our camp cafe.

Fortunately, their are sign posts along out trek to guide us

Selfie time! 🙂 🙂

Mark being highly observant, points to a spec of blue amongst the trees and says,”Hey, there’s our camp swimming pool !” ….Hows your eyesight?

As l already mentioned, Mark is very attuned to the environment & points to a large fish he’s spotted …..l can’t see this one though!

After 2 1/2 hrs we’re almost back to home base & l take one last shot as the sun begins to set !