Looking for a good place to stop between Seville and Alcala de Henares

Hello, I'm not sure if you will day trip here while at Sevilla, but if you go via the La Mancha region, my biggest recommendation would be visiting Córdoba and its Mezquita, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Córdoba was one of the leading cities of Medieval Europe and has an interesting Jewish, Christian, and Muslim history that can be seen in the architecture of its winding whitewashed streets. While in Córdoba, make sure to try the local specialty, Salmorejo, which is like a creamy Gazpacho.

In La Mancha, you can also stop at:

1. The Windmills of Consuegra - those historic windmills that are emblematic of La Mancha and Don Quijote, worth a stop and few photos. Next door is the Castle of Consuegra, a former Moorish fortress that was taken over by the Knights Hospitaller during the Reconquista.

2. Roman town of Segobriga - an intact Roman town that was completely abandoned during the very early middle ages, only recently begun excavations, relatively undiscovered by most foreign and even local tourists

If you take the route (E803/E90) that goes through the Extremadura region, one of Spain’s most fascinating regions, then you have several really good options for stopping (it's actually the fastest route too):

1. Zafra: Home to el Castillo de Feria, an originally Moorish hilltop fort. Zafra itself is a white walled town nicknamed "Little Sevilla" and feels very "Moorish". The filmed some scenes from the T.V. show Game of Thrones here.

2. Mérida: While Mérida may not be as charming as some of the smaller towns in Extremadura, the city does boast the best Roman ruins in Spain.

3. Guadalupe: Has the beautiful Real Monasterio de Guadalupe. You can tour this monastery and its collection of art, jewels, illuminated manuscripts. You can also see two cloisters, one late-14th-century Mudéjar, the other Gothic.

4. Cáceres: The old town of Cáceres is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a mix of Roman, Islamic, Gothic, and Renaissance styles.

5. Trujillo: This town is where some of Spain’s most famous(infamous) conquistadors came from. The town has a few baroque and Renaissance palaces and an interesting Museum of Francisco Pizarro, who led the expedition that conquered the Inca Empire.

Hope this helps :)

I vote for Trujillo if you take the western route (which ViaMichelin pegs as quite a bit faster than the alternative to the east). Trujillo doesn't require a detour, whereas Caceres does. Merida as a city isn't as engaging to me, despite having some Roman ruins. I'm assuming you won't want to take time to go to the archaeological museum.

According to ViaMichelin, a slight alteration of the eastern route to go through Almagro would add less than 10 minutes to the drive. Almagro's an interesting place, architecturally, though not as overtly "Old World" as Trujillo.

South of Madrid at exit 121, heading west, a couple miles off the E-5 is Consuegra. There are windmills and a castle there. Off the same exit, but heading east, is Campo de Criptana and its windmills made famous in Cervantes’ Don Quixote. A few miles further east from Campo de Criptana is Belmonte and its castle. From Belmonte it would be just a short distance to pick up either the AP-36 (toll road) or the E-901/A-3 north towards Madrid. Then, if heading up the E-901, at exit 48, pick up the M-316 west to Chinchon. I’ve been told it’s worth a stop. The Roman town Segobriga Carlos mentioned is near exit 104 off the E-901/A-3.

Thank you, all! Sounds like Trujillo might be perfect. Any recommendations for good lunch spots?