Robledo
The Village
Robledo is a municipality located 70 km from Albacete. It currently has a population of around 370 inhabitants. Its origins are very ancient, since in its territorial limits have been found from cave paintings (which can be found in the Laguna del Arquillo), Neolithic remains, and Bronze Age settlements.
The natural environment of Robledo is a natural location center extremely rich in flora and fauna. The vegetation is very intense and colorful and the pastures are mixed with yellowish cereal fields to create an extraordinary landscape. The wetlands "Laguna del Arquillo" and "Laguna Ojos de Villaverde" stand out. With respect to its gastronomy, this has given dishes as appreciated as the atascaburras, the tortilla de pan, the ajo grande or the collejas with chorizo and bacon, without disdaining the delicious and comforting grilled meats that are offered in the establishments.
Things to See
Robledo offers visitors both heritage and natural resources. On the heritage side highlights the Ermita de Villalgordo, a thirteenth century church that has the oldest standing vault in the province, located on the outskirts of Robledo in the abandoned village of Villalgordo.
The natural environment of Robledo is a natural location center extremely rich in flora and fauna. It is essential for the tourist to visit both the
Laguna de los Ojos de Villaverde and the
Laguna del Arquillo, where we can find from the most common species in the Mediterranean region, such as the wild cat or the genet, to others unique in the world and in serious danger of extinction, such as the Iberian mountain goat, which in this area can be found with relative ease. The vegetation is dominated by scrubland, thyme, rosemary, lavender. There is also a predominance of oak, holm oak and juniper forests. In short, a series of geographical contrasts that, together with the ecological-faunistic potential and the good communication infrastructure, make this place a place worth visiting and enjoying.
Festivities
Robledo celebrates two important festivals throughout the year. The first is San Antonio de Padua, on June 13, in which a mass is celebrated in honor of the saint and later a communal meal.
The main festivities are held on October 12 in honor of the Virgen del Pilar, with a Mass in the church of the Purísima Concepción, which was rebuilt by the parishioners in 1815.
Ojos de Villaverde Lagoon
The Laguna de los Ojos de Villaverde is a rugged lagoon surrounded by juniper groves. It is a unique natural space, and although the abundance of vegetation on the banks makes it difficult to pass, its waters is one of the areas of greatest biological richness of Albacete.
It is inhabited by a large number of birds, including the grey heron, Bonelli's eagle, golden eagle, marsh harrier, hen harrier, goshawk, peregrine falcon and red kite. In addition, in its waters grows the carnivorous plant Dentribularia (urticaria vulgaris), and is inhabited by the San Antonio frog, as well as other batrachians, otters and mammals.
Arquillo Lagoon
The Arquillo Lagoon serves as a boundary between the municipalities of El Robledo, Masegoso and Peñascosa. Its ecological uniqueness led it to be declared a "Natural Monument" in December 2000. In addition to its scientific interest, it is a place of extraordinary beauty.
Its origin is karstic-fluvial being modeled in the Quaternary Era. It is one of the few marsh ecosystems of the Iberian Peninsula of this origin, like the Lagunas de Ruidera or the Laguna de Uña, hence its importance, to which must be added the good condition of the wetland that has hardly been altered by man.
The lagoon dominates the landscape, from where you can enjoy its calm waters, whose color changes from whitish to blue as the day goes by. The vegetation that colonizes the lagoon has a high botanical interest, both aquatic and marginal vegetation. Water lilies floating on the water sheet add to the beauty of the lagoon's natural complex, and in turn, provide habitat for the San Antonio frog. The grasses and reed meadows surround its margins. All this makes it ideal to enjoy a snack.
