Consuegra, Mora and the Montes de Toledo without a car: the windmills, the Saffron Rose festival and how to get back to Toledo or Madrid
You can, but on the bus's timetable: the lines running down from Toledo towards La Mancha on the CM-42 stop at Sonseca, Consuegra and Madridejos through the day, and the last one back leaves before the Calderico hill turns beautiful at sunset. The windmills stand on top of the hill, half an hour's uphill walk from the town. For a full day — windmills, castle, lunch in Consuegra and a stop in Mora or Los Yébenes — a fixed-price car with a driver from Toledo is 65 km and about 48 min, with the driver waiting while you visit.
Written by Ridelta - Taxi y VTC · reviewed on 27 October 2026
What is there to see in Consuegra, and how long does it take?
Consuegra is the picture of La Mancha everyone has in their head: a row of white windmills on the Calderico hill, with the medieval castle in the middle. There are twelve mills, several of them open with their machinery; one houses the tourist office and another grinds grain on special dates. The castle, once held by the Order of Saint John, is visited with a ticket and looks out over the whole town and the plain. Between the climb, the mills, the castle and coming down to the town for lunch, the visit fills a long morning or a relaxed day.
The town also has an old quarter with an arcaded square, churches and a small museum, and it is the heart of the saffron district: the rose from which the spice comes is grown in the surrounding fields, and every autumn the town celebrates it. For visitors from outside, the most common mistake is to drive or take a cab up the hill, see the mills in twenty minutes and leave without setting foot in the town.
How do you get there without a car from Toledo or Madrid?
Consuegra has no railway. From Toledo, the intercity buses that run down the CM-42 towards Madridejos and La Mancha stop at Sonseca and Consuegra; Toledo's coach station is in the lower part of the city, by the river, a short walk from the old town. From Madrid, the usual way is the bus or the Avant train to Toledo and a connection there, or a direct bus from the Sur coach station towards La Mancha that stops at Consuegra, with few services a day. In both cases the return is dictated by the last bus, which does not wait for sunset, and on Sundays and holidays there are even fewer.
With a car with a driver the plan is reversed: the visitor sets the time. From Toledo to the windmills it is 65 km along the CM-42, from 91,73 €; you can ask the driver to wait during the visit and lunch and to stop in Mora, Los Yébenes or at an olive mill on the way back. From Sonseca, for anyone staying in the district, it is 49 km; from Madridejos, 7 km and about 10 min.
What happens at the Saffron Rose festival?
On the last weekend of October Consuegra holds the Saffron Rose festival, a regional tourist-interest event: a stripping contest (separating the threads from the flower), parades, grinding at one of the mills, a market and events in the square. It is the busiest weekend of the year and the town fills up: access to the hill is controlled, parking is hard and the buses run full. Anyone coming that weekend should expect a queue to visit the mills and a delayed return.
For that weekend a transfer with a booked time is the difference between making the morning stripping contest and missing it. The driver drops you at the point allowed by the town hall's traffic plan, usually in the lower part of town, and picks you up where agreed when you finish, with no parking hunt and no waiting for a full bus.
What else is there in Mora, Los Yébenes and the Montes?
Mora is the olive-oil capital of the Montes de Toledo, with mills that can be visited during the harvest, from November to January, and the Olive Festival in spring; its Peñas Negras castle is visible from the road. Los Yébenes, on the pass that separates La Mancha from the Montes, is the gateway to Cabañeros and to big-game hunting, with a large village centre and a strong hunting tradition. Orgaz, with its well-kept castle, and Sonseca, with its furniture and marzipan industry, lie on the way back to Toledo along the CM-42.
Stringing two or three of these villages together in one day is impossible by bus and simple with a driver who waits: you pay the journey and the agreed waiting time and decide on the go where to stop for lunch. For groups of up to seven, the larger vehicle splits the fare and fits the narrow streets of Consuegra's old quarter.
What if you want to go straight back to Madrid?
From Consuegra you return to Madrid via the CM-42 to Toledo and the A-42, or via Madridejos and the A-4 without going through Toledo. The driver chooses by the hour: late on a Sunday afternoon the A-4 between Ocaña and the M-40 gets heavy, and the AP-41 toll road from Toledo is usually clear. The journey is booked as a one-way service from Consuegra to whatever Madrid address is needed, and the price comes out fixed when you order.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive up to the Consuegra windmills?
There is a road up to the top of the Calderico hill and parking next to the mills, except during the Saffron Rose festival, when the town hall controls access. On foot from the town it is about thirty minutes uphill.
What does Toledo to Consuegra with a driver cost?
It is 65 km and about 48 min, from 91,73 € according to the route engine. Waiting during the visit and the return trip are agreed when booking.
When is the Saffron Rose festival?
On the last weekend of October, in Consuegra. It is the busiest weekend of the year: expect queues at the mills, controlled access to the hill and full buses.
Is there a train to Consuegra or Mora?
No. None of the Montes de Toledo villages has a station. You get there by intercity bus from Toledo or from Madrid's Sur coach station, with few services, or by car.
Sources
- Ayuntamiento de Consuegra · turismo: molinos, castillo y Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán (consulted on 27 October 2026)
- Turismo Castilla-La Mancha · Consuegra y los Montes de Toledo (consulted on 27 October 2026)
- Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha · transporte interurbano de viajeros por carretera (consulted on 27 October 2026)
Visiting hours, tickets and festival dates are published by the town hall and the tourist office and change every year; this guide says what exists, not what time it opens. Kilometres, minutes and prices are those of the route engine when the page is opened.