The Association for the development of "Alto Guadiana Mancha" was created to promote a joined territorial strategy in medium and long-term with the aim of creating employment, enterprises and by improving the quality of life of its inhabitants, through friendly performances with the enviroment, promoting the participation and involvement of society in all actions of the region.

The main objectives of the Association are to reach an integrated sustained harmonius endogenous rural development in the region, by stimulating the innovative local initiatives, as public as private, besides of participating in established programmes, initiatives and announcements from the various administrations for the creation of employment, enterprises, redistribution of wealth and the integral development of the region.

With two reservoirs of an unquestionable national and international singularity as the National Park of "Las Tablas de Daimiel" and the Natural Park of "Las Lagunas del Ruidera", this territory is dominated by La Mancha plain, which is mainly dedicated to the cultivation of vines, cereals and olive groves. On its eastern and western borders count with the most important mountain ranges and picks with a well preserved Mediterranean mountain. In the center area  appear small elevations and hills with mount spots that break the continuity of La Mancha.

This region is composed of 5 municipalities, eleven of them located at the well-known  La Mancha plain: arenas de San Juan, Argamasilla Alba, Daimiel, the work, La Solana, Llanos, Manzanares, Membrilla, Puerto Lápice, Villarrubia de los Ojos, and Villarta de San Juan; locating the four municipalities left - Alhambra Carrizosa, Ruidera, San Carlos of the Valley - at the first mild elevations of the highest plain which belong to the "Campo de Montiel".

If geography is amazing, history is not less. Many cultures have flourished around its watercourses since prehistoric times, leaving traces of them all, from the Bronze Age we count with a unique culture  in the Iberian Peninsula, Las Montillas', but there are also Iberian, Roman, or Carthaginians remains, being different deposits excavated currently. On the other hand, the latest culture has left wonderful buildings, both civil and religious from the 13th century. We can not overlook the figure of Don Quixote, in a place of La Mancha... with many references to the opus like "La cueva de Mendrona" in Argamasilla de Alba or country Inns and windmills in Puerto Lápice, just in order to mention some of them.

The Alto Guadiana Mancha region continues to have a strong agricultural character. Most of its territory is dedicated to arable crops exclusively as well as  mixed with other woody, leafy and pasture mosaics. There are also large areas of woody crops, especially in the Northwest of the Association. On the other hand, the pasture areas is  lower and are exclusively located at the east   of our territory, competing in extension with scrub mosaics.

Within the importance of the herbaceous, it is pointed the unirrigated lands, dedicated mostly to the cereal cultivation. On the other hand, it is relevant the  presence of industrial crops, in this kind of activity, being the municipalities of Alhambra, Argamasilla de Alba, Daimiel and  Manzanares  the most outstanding. Within the woody crops, over the rest, vines and olive trees become representative crops of our environment, mostly unirrigated lands, especially  vine has got a special relevant in  Daimiel and Manzanares, besides of being present all over.  As a very important aspect, we should mention that irrigated areas are in clear increasing being basically located at  municipalities such as arenas de San Juan, Daimiel, Las Labores, Llanos, Puerto Lápice and Villarta de San Juan.

Apart from this, we should make a small mention of the existence of non-farm activities such as scrub areas and Mediterranean mount at Ruidera and conifers  in Villarrubia de los Ojos.

Livestock is less relevant being mostly sheep with almost 80%. Goats and beefs are less relevant as well as pigs.

Industrial activity in Alto Guadiana-Mancha represents a strong agricultural character, essentially with the existence of cooperatives and cellars wine, oil mills and cheese dairy besides of cereals. Wine has cushioned, in some way, marketing thanks to "La Mancha" mark of origin. Oil, depending on the area, may has different marks of origin. The famous manchego cheese is other outstanding product, under its also mark of origin (D.O.) La Mancha cheese.

On the other hand, municipalities like La Solana, Manzanares, Argamasilla de Alba, Daimiel and Villarrubia de los Ojos count with important industrial parks and what it is more important, they are continuosly expanding and well communicated, resulting in an attractive ground for numerous companies, which consider communications (N-430, N-IV, and the recent A-43) as an important factor at the time of lauching to the acquisition of industrial land. Textile sector, formerly a source of employment, especially female, represents a volatile character, above all, in the latest times with the move to areas where labor is cheaper.

We should make a small mention of craftsmanship activity, thanks to the elaboration of products using clay, Cattail, forging, stone, wood, leather, among others. Different projects are being carried out, through the own Association of Alto Guadiana Mancha, to promote and get to know this craftsmanship like the "network of handicraft points" where both hotel managements  (offering spaces in their establishments for the collocation of showcases and being responsible for the sale of products) and craftsmanship that are undertaken to notice that these showcases always contain the most representative works.

Construction is an important source of employment, especially for men, giving place to the creation of many companies linked, both directly and indirectly, to this sector (carpentry, aluminum, electricity, etc.), although this sector is the most affected by the current period of crisis.

All these companies located at suitable industrial parks that are dedicated to  new technologies and renewable energies, are now in a boom.

But if we should point a sector on the Association it would be the service sector, which emploies more than half of the active population and that is clearly growing. The presence of self-employed with their own business is very high. Tourism is one of the most  outstanding sectors, giving place to an important hotel infrastructure with accomodations, restaurants and active tourist that had made possible to create a lot of employment in the region. This added value, along with cultural and scenic wealth of our region take us month after month, year after year  to increase the number of visitors in our region with overnight stays and tastings of our typical dishes in high quality restaurants we already count with.

It is also important to consider the character of the people of our villages, that mixes excellently with modernity in the way that young people accept traditional customs and are involved in them. This generational union turns our region into a human attraction that draws the attention of visitors who always find answer to their questions and advice in their curiosity. Traditional popular celebrations, Easter, Carnival, Mayos, pilgrimage, folklore, samples, festivals, the figure of Don Quixote, among others, along with the natural attractions like "Las Lagunas de Ruidera" or "Las Tablas de Daimiel" together with the  cultural attractions like churches, squares, castles, historic buildings, etc., being all of them worthy of a visit.