A few insights into Cuidad Real the capital of Castille-La Mancha It is 200 kilometres (128 miles) south of Madrid and when Ryanair flew there for a few months they called it Madrid South! Visited the airport a few years ago when travelling back to the UK and stopping overnight in Toledo and took the opportunity to have a quick look. Lovely looking airport but that is about it. Cuidad Real has a population of about 80,000 and no other large towns nearby and has been mentioned is on the high speed line to Seville.No comparison to Barcelona sorry AP1.
Spain is a large and mostly rural country and it takes between 10-12 hours to drive north-south on excellent quiet (often very quiet) motorways so it is only the big conurbations and holiday areas on the Costas where the passengers are.