One-Day Classes in Spain

Discover the secrets of traditional Mediterranean cuisine as you learn to create memorable dishes for your family and friends. You class will include the preparation of a host of versatile dishes, which your chef will teach you to handle with confidence, and to understand the selection and use of basic ingredients such as olive oil and spices.

Your journey will begin at approximately 10:30 AM and take you to a beautiful setting amidst the Ronda mountains near Gaucin Village, where with your chefs you will prepare five different rustic dishes. You will start by hand picking your ingredients from the nearby fruit and vegetable gardens (in case of bad weather you will instead go to the local Marbella market where you will select the products.) In this class you will gain a greater understanding of how to use basic ingredients such as olive oil and spices the Spanish way. The combination of the beautiful scenery combined with a wonderful Spanish meal paired with delicious wines will make for a most memorable day!

To speak of Jerez de la Frontera is to speak of its sherry wines, which have impregnated the whole of its culture, art forms and customs since 1100 BC. Enjoy a complete guideed tour of the most significant wine tourism resources of the city. You will start the in the Cadiz area, from the town of Puerto de Santa Maria, with a visit of a superb wine cellar, followed by lunch in a typical local fish restaurant. After lunch you will visit a famous wine cellar in Jerez, where you will taste the very best sherry wines and brandies accompanied by gastronomic treats typical of the area. During your excursion you will see what is likely Europe´s largest wine cellar, taking a journey through the history, production and secrets of aging of their wines.

What better way to enjoy life than to sample the local food and wine in the style of the locals? This half day excursion will introduce you to wine tasting, with an explanation of the basic techniques to discover the aroma and flavor, along with the traditional accompanying gourmet tapas. You will visit some charming local villages, all the while continuing with the wine and tapas, experiencing the practice of “tapeo,” allowing you many tastes!

The tapas tour will be in a typical Analucian white village; Mijas, located in the middle of the Costa del Sol, or Gaucin, set at the edge of the Ronda mountains. The town will be determined which is closest to your accommodation.

Experience the true Catalan cuisine by starting with a visit to the source: Barcelona’s Boqueria market. Once a traveling market, it is today located on a pedestrian-only street in the heart of the city, where the local people go daily to select the best produce, meats, cheeses, olive oils, etc, etc. This incredibly colorful market is a delight for all your senses and a great photo opportunity! The class begins at the cooking school at 10 AM when you meet your chef who will lead you to Boqueria market, where he’ll regale you with personal stories and secrets of the market’s history and vendors as you pick out fresh ingredients for the day’s cooking class.

Then it is on to the kitchen, where you start with a glass of Rioja red or Albariño white wine to enjoy during your class. You will be immersed in the flavors, textures, and aromas of traditional Spanish cuisine, which you will be able to reproduce in your home.

The class will consist of four courses using the best and freshest local ingredients. Some of the dishes you may make are a cream of pumpkin, pear with cheese and caramelized hazelnuts, tortilla española, paella, and Catalan cream dessert. Afterwards you’ll feast on your fabulous creations for lunch!

Immerse yourself in the world of gourmet Spanish cuisine with this unique walking tour and cooking class in the heart of Barcelona. Your day starts at 9 AM with a pick up at your centrally-located hotel and then it’s off to the Gothic Quarter, a neighborhood also known as the Cathedral Quarter. Your guide will show you around Las Ramblas, one of the most famous pedestrian-only streets in the country. Stop at wonderful artisan and speciality shops, as well as tiendas selling the best Spanish olive oils, meats, pastries, wines, chocolates, and more. The chef will gladly answer questions about any of the products in the stores, while also highlighting all the most important historic buildings in the Gothic Quarter.

Next, it’s on to Boqueria market with a stop at Pinotxo bar, one of the top counter restaurants in Barcelona. Take a short break and enjoy a tapa (snack) with a glass of wine before the market visit begins. This market is frequented daily by locals for the best produce, cheeses, olive oils, etc. While perusing the many market stalls, the chef will regale you with personal stories about the market as well as highlight some of the locally-grown products and locally-caught fish. After selecting some ingredients for the class, head to the professionally-equipped kitchen just 50 meters away.

In your private Spain cooking class, you’ll learn to prepare a 4-course meal, including a soup, appetizer, main dish, and desserts, which you’ll get to feast on during lunch with some local wine. This is truly an amazing experience that everyone, including families, can enjoy!

If you are spending a little extra time in Barcelona, you might consider one of the many group bus tours or excursions we offer in the city. (Private tours also available on request.)

• Gaudí Tour (3.5 hours): This tour will take you to the best of Gaudí, at different points of the city, in a comfortable coach and avoiding entrance lines. Includes: Passeig de Gràcia, Gaudi Houses (Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, Gracia), Eixample, and Sagrada Família. Available daily at 9:00 a.m.

• Montjuïc Hill and Waterfront Tour (2.5 hours): Enjoy spectacular views over the city, visit the Arch of Triumph, Port, Columbus Monument, Mirador de Miramar (look-out), the Olympic Ring stadiums, and Poble Espanyol. Available daily at 12:30 p.m.

• Barcelona Highlights Tour (5 hours): The ideal tour for people on a short visit: the only way to see everything, covering the distances and avoiding the lines. Includes: Passeig de Gràcia, Gaudi Houses (facades of Casa Batllo and La Pedrera), Eixample, Sagrada Família, Arc de Triomf, Old Port, Columbus Monument, Gothic Drassanes (shipyard), World Trade Centre, Montjuic Hill (Miramar Look-out), Olympic Ring stadiums, and Poble Espanyol. Available daily at 10:00 a.m.

• Montserrat Tour (4 hours): Montserrat is a rich, multidimensional site, a veritable phenomenon: a unique nature park in the world, a museum housing one of the best collections in the country, the Shrine of the Patron Saint of Catalonia. Because the road to Monserrat is under construction, you will take a cable car to reach the site, giving you breathtaking views over the mountain (the cost of the cable car is included in the tour). Available Monday – Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy a full-day excursion to The Penedés (45 minutes from Barcelona), long the the largest wine region in Catalonia, and also the home of the Cava sparkling wine. Your day begins with a pickup from your Barcelona hotel at 9:30 am. You will visit two highly respected wineries (masias) in the villages of Sant Pau d’Ordal and Avinyonet del Penedés. These Catalan traditional farmsteads are surrounded by vineyards and unspoiled countryside at the foot of the Garraf mountain range—the views alone are worth the trip! Enjoy a visit and private tasting at each vineyard. At lunchtime you will head toward the capital of the Cava region, Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, to enjoy traditional Catalan cuisine at one of the area’s best restaurants. After lunch return to Barcelona, where you will arrive around 5:30 pm.

Explore one of Spain’s premier wine regions with an expert guide. Your day begins with a 9:00 am pickup from your Barcelona hotel and a transfer (of approximately 1 hour 45 minutes) to the Priorat region. Your first stop is a monastery founded by the monks of San Bruno, where you will enjoy a guided visit. Next stop will be Gratallops, the capital of the Priorat wine region, where many of the region’s top wineries are located. In the recent past the quality of Priorat wines has improved to the point that they are now recognized as among the best wines of Spain. You will visit one of the local wineries, where you will have a private tasting led by the house oenologists. Afterwards, enjoy a tasting lunch in a Gratallops restaurant, with wine paired to match the selections. After lunch, return to Barcelona, where you will arrive around 6:30 pm.