Name: 4 Day Laid-back Nature, Wine, and Food Vacation in the Algarve, Southern Portugal
Brand: Tertúlia Algarvia
Price: 1175 EUR
Availability: InStock

Portugal Culinary Vacation

Are you looking for an extended weekend break to indulge with the best southern flavors of Europe? If so, this the perfect match for you! This small group program is planned for those with little or moderate cooking experience looking for an opportunity to unwind, relax, and enjoy. Enjoy a fun cooking class and taste fresh oysters with sparkling wine in a luxurious location. Your journey also includes a boat tour in Ria Formosa Natural Reserve, a visit to a wholesale local market, and some free time. You will be lodged in a central, welcoming, and comfortable hotel with modern and bright rooms with private bathrooms.

Highlights

1 cooking lesson
Visit a traditional market
Oyster and wine tastings
Sail along Ria Formosa Natural Reserve
2 welcome / farewell dinners with wine
3 nights accommodation
Breakfast and 1 lunch

Skill level

Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

Styles

3 days with instruction in English

The organizer also speaks: Portuguese, Spanish

Group size: 4-8 participants

Airport transfer included: Faro Airport

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

14:00

Check-out Time:

12:00

Facilities

Sauna
Spa
Swimming pool (outdoor)
Air-conditioned public areas
Air-conditioned rooms
Bar
Café
Dining area
Lobby
Luggage room / storage
Multilingual staff
Poolside bar
Restaurant
Terrace
Beauty salon
Free parking
Free Wi-Fi
Internet access

You will be lodged in a central, welcoming, and comfortable four-star hotel that offers modern and bright rooms with private bathrooms. There are two accommodation options:

Faro Boutique Hotel

Offering a rooftop terrace with views of the Ria Formosa and the city of Faro, Faro Boutique Hotel is situated just a three-minute walk from the Old Town and 450 meters from the Faro Marina. Featuring free Wi-Fi, modern rooms well-lit and equipped with a flat-screen cable TV, minibar, a wardrobe, and air conditioning. Each comes with a private bathroom with free toiletries. Some rooms have a furnished balcony.

Breakfast is served daily. Guests will find a variety of typical restaurants and bars within walking distance. With a 24-hour reception, the Faro Boutique Hotel is one kilometer from the main bus and train stations. Faro Beach, located on a barrier island of the Ria Formosa, is 10 kilometers away and Faro International Airport is a 10-minute drive away.

Hotel Faro

Located in downtown Faro just a five-minute walk from the train station and the bus terminal, this modern hotel overlooks the old town, marina, and the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. Hotel Faro offers spacious rooms filled with natural light, some of which open onto a balcony. All rooms come with a TV with cable channels and a minibar. The private bathrooms include free toiletries. A fresh buffet breakfast is served daily. For other meals, guests can enjoy the view from the rooftop-terrace restaurant, Ria Formosa, which offers Portuguese specialties.

The Faro Old Town is just a three-minute walk away. Here guests can visit the Sé Cathedral and the Archaeological Museum. The pedestrian shopping streets of Faro's downtown are around the corner and Faro International Airport is 7 kilometers away. During the summer season, Hotel Faro features a free shuttle service to Faro Beach, where the hotel's beach club is located, as well as the boat transportation. This boat service is available for a surcharge, to the pristine beaches of the Deserta, Farol, and Culatra Islands, allowing a unique experience through the untouched canals of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. This is the guests' favorite part of Faro, according to independent reviews.

Program

In this exciting cooking and wine short break, you will have the chance to experience the best of Algarve’s gastronomy and culture. Start with a boat tour to discover the natural reserve of Ria Formosa and disembark in a white-sand desert island to indulge with some oysters and sparkling wine. Visit the wholesale local market to learn how to select the best fish, meat, and vegetables. Adventure yourself cooking the traditional cataplana recipe and take home memories that you will never forget!

Day 1: Arrival, briefing and welcome dinner

Welcome to Faro and to one of the most popular tours in the Iberian peninsula! The first day of the tour is an arrivals day: check-in at the accommodation from 2 p.m. onwards and meet up with the rest of the group for your first dinner together! If you arrive early, climb to the rooftop of your hotel to enjoy the swimming pool or simply relax with the incredible sea view. At sunset, walk freely to an exquisite restaurant called Tertúlia Algarvia in the magical old town. At this first encounter, the briefing and presentation of participants will be followed by a welcome dinner with the restaurant’s chef.

Day 2: Boating tour, oyster and sparkling wine tasting and free time

Join a boat tour to discover the natural reserve of Ria Formosa, visiting oyster farms in the muddy lagoon and disembarking in a white-sand desert island for an oyster and sparkling wine tasting. Lunch at restaurant Tertúlia Algarvia and, then, enjoy a free afternoon. You may spend it going to the beach, touring Faro by visiting the landmarks that best represent the city's cultural heritage, going shopping or simply relaxing in your amazing hotel.

Day 3: Local market, coppersmith visit, wine tasting, cooking class

Early enough, you will head to the wholesale local market in the interior city of Loulé. In this trip, besides visiting the incredible Arabic-inspired covered market building, you will learn how to choose your vegetables, recognize fresh fish, distinguish between fish types, and even learn the best culinary usage for each species. In the following visit to the coppersmith’s cookery class, all the secrets of the ancient art of copper craft will be uncovered.

After, on a farm located further up in the rustic side of the Algarve, you will indulge with a wine tasting conveniently paired with some savory nibbles. This awarded winery benefits from a special micro clime, with low temperatures in the winter and high temperatures in the summer, which allows for balanced grape maturation. Also, there is a notable wine grape variety: Touriga Nacional, Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Aragonez, Siria, Arinto, Chardonnay.

At last, you will return to the hotel for some hours rest before the ultimate cooking cookery class at Tertúlia Algarvia. The ingredients bought at the market early in the morning will be starring this unique cataplana recipe. The chef will guide you through the cookery class and assist you in preparing the unique farewell dinner. The meal will be accompanied by local wines and traditional desserts.

Day 4: Departure

End of tour.

Location

Faro, a pleasant seaside town in the central Algarve, is surrounded by an amazing natural reserve featuring saltmarshes, mudflats, and a thin but long belt of sandflats called barrier islands. The old town with all the original buildings is like a jewel box that combines cultural and architectural gems with museums and restaurants with a more contemporary feel. The activities included in the program extend to surrounding cities and villages across the sea line as well as the countryside.

Lying on the southern part of Portugal, Algarve region is known for its distinct hospitality, natural landmarks, and gastronomy. This is your opportunity to see more than the well-known white sandy beaches and experience the truly unique tastes, sights, and sounds that distinguish the southern culture.

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Food

Your vacation includes accommodation with breakfast, one lunch, and both welcome and farewell dinners.

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Drinks

The following drinks are included:

Alcoholic beverages

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
Pescatarian

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

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