COOKING HOLIDAYS IN SPAIN
Welcome to Active Gourmet Holidays! If you crave the extraordinary, Active Gourmet Holidays is the perfect place to discover your next adventure. Search for divine active or culinary vacations (or a combination of both!), then contact us (see bottom of page) and let the professionals do the legwork. We offer over 100 splendid cooking school vacations so you can be assured that the experts will make the best recommendations as to which gourmet cooking tours will best fit your needs!
Active Gourmet Holidays offers much more than conventional vacations - rather, we provide unforgettable getaways that nourish the senses, refuel the body and replenish the spirit.
Whether it be learning to master local dishes from a renowned chef in the heart of Provence, biking amidst the spectacular red poppy fields of Chianti, or tasting fine Tuscan wines from the Brunello region, Active Gourmet Holidays offers the perfect culinary tours.
- Sample the world's finest cuisine
- Savor internationally renowned wines
- Step inside different cultures
Creating Active Gourmet Holidays has allowed its founder, Jo-Ann Gaidosz, to share her passions by being able to combine all of her favorite things into unique and unforgettable culinary holidays. Also, by offering outdoor activities, such as biking the hills of Burgundy or hiking the Italian Riviera, we afford you the opportunity to stay fit - all the while indulging in the gastronomic delicacies your palate desires!
- Cooking classes for both the sophisticated and casual cook
- Combination holidays for those who enjoy variety or for traveling companions with different interests - Cooking and Biking, Hiking or Yoga; Language Lessons and Cooking; Hiking and Food and Wine; and more!
- Visits to famous vineyards and local food producers
- Small groups so as to offer a more intimate setting
If you have a passion for travel, enjoy the outdoors and possess a love for food and fine wines, browse our enticing selection of tempting escapes - exciting itineraries, a mix of breathtaking destinations and a varied price range. With Active Gourmet Holidays you can enjoy the hidden pleasures of a foreign land like never before!
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COOKING VACATIONS ANDALUSIA |
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CULINARY DELIGHTS OF ANDALUSIA
(Options: Custom Tours)
Andalusia, Spain - 4 or 6 nights
Available year round
Come join us for cooking classes in a small hilltop Moorish village overlooking a romantic turquoise-coloured lake which lies in Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas in the southern part of Córdoba province. It is an incredibly beautiful region and yet it is still relatively unexplored.
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GASTRONOMY IN RONDA
(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Wine Tours and Tastings, Malaga Tapa Tours)
Ronda, Spain - 2 or 6 nights
Available year round
Join us for an extraordinary gastronomic experience based in the beautiful Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Spain. You will be surrounded by a professional staff with one goal in mind: to create the most memorable gastronomic holiday for you that will exceed your expectations and ensure at all times that the highest customer satisfaction is achieved. Choose from a weekend or a six night program.
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THE LEGACY OF AL ANDALUS
(Options: Customized Tours, Tapas Tours, Day Cooking Lessons and Excursions)
Andalusia, Spain - 7 nights
Available year round
The Legacy of Al Andalus will enable you to discover and explore the abundant history and culture of three of the most enchanting cities in the region, Seville, Granada and Córdoba - especially in its exceptional food and wine. In Andalusia, life is lived to the fullest and eating and drinking are taken very seriously. This holiday offers you unrivalled gastronomy, incredible wines, food and cultural visits.
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LOS PUEBLOS BLANCOS IN ANDALUSIA
(Options: Full Day Market Visit, Custom Tours, Tangiers Excursions)
Estepona/Marbella, Spain - 5 nights
Available year round
Explore the beautiful and impressive white washed villages (los pueblos blancos) of Andalusia while also partaking in healthy, hands-on organic cooking classes at a beach villa in an open kitchen facing the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea. Your hostess not only speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish, but is a passionate cook and advocate of healthy, organic food.
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here

A TASTE OF SEVILLE
(Options: Customized Tours, Tapas Tours, Day Cooking Lessons and Excursions)
Seville, Spain - 3 nights
Available year round
A Taste of Seville offers exceptional sherry, wine and foodie tours in Sevilla. Your guide will take you to the finest bodegas, food producers and hidden gems in the area. This three night tour is the perfect immersion into Sevilla offering beautiful accommodations, gourmet dining and the inside scoop on the finest tapas bars in the area.
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here

WINE AND GASTRONOMY IN SEVILLE
Seville, Spain
Available year round
Visit Seville, the magnificent and historic city in southern Spain, where life is lived to the fullest and where eating and drinking are taken very seriously. This holiday offers you unrivalled gastronomy, incredible wines, food and cultural visits and fun loving visits to tapas bars and exquisite restaurants. This holiday is for those who have a passion for food and wine and for those who wish to learn the traditions and culture of this very special city.
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COOKING VACATIONS ARAGON |
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COOKING WITH PIERS AND MIGUEL IN ARAGON
(Options: Longer Stays, Customized Itineraries, Additional Activities)
Spain - 3 nights
Available March to October
La Torre del Visco is considered throughout Spain and internationally as one of the most singular, beautiful and romantic small hotels in the whole of Europe. 17 rooms, lovely sitting rooms, an extensive library, grand piano and fresh flowers everywhere, all this in a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere where you will be pampered by Jemma, Piers and their team of charming local staff. Your hosts are British but have lived in Spain "forever", are completely bi-lingual and have a profound knowledge and passion for Spanish history, culture, gastronomy and wine which they love to discuss.
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COOKING VACATIONS ASTURIAS |
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THE ACTIVE GOURMET IN GREEN SPAIN
(Options: Optional Activities, Longer Stays, Custom Itineraries, Cycling Holidays)
Asturias, Spain - 6 nights
Available April to October
Join us for a 6-night walking and culinary journey in Asturias, the heart of Green Spain. Still largely "undiscovered" as a tourist destination, this magical corner of the world offers breath-taking landscapes, deeply rooted tradition and tasty regional gastronomy. It’s a paradise for walking: rolling hills, limestone spires, sandy shores and quiet coves. It’s a temptation for the gourmet: fresh seafood, artisan cheeses, apple cider and free-range beef. Our 7-day itinerary in Asturias is designed to make the most of the region’s incredible diversity, with a variety of activities included.
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COOKING VACATIONS BASQUE COUNTRY |
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THE SAN SEBASTIÁN GOURMAND
(Options: Optional Activities, Longer Stays, Custom Itineraries, Cycling Holidays)
Basque Country, Spain - 3 nights
Available March to December
San Sebastián (known as Donostia, in Basque language) has become a virtual Mecca for the modern gastronaut. World-class gourmands flock to this lovely seaside city, in search of exquisite restaurants, fashionable pintxos bars and renowned culinary societies. The elegant cultural atmosphere on display here is not unfounded: no other city in the world has as many Michelin stars per capita. Our gastronomy extravaganza provides a few truly astonishing culinary experiences and the chance for some hands-on practice at the art of la buena cocina. This 4-day tour may be easily combined with a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or any other tour in Northern Spain.
For further information - click
here
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COOKING VACATIONS CATALONIA |
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THE CUISINE OF CATALONIA
Catalonia, Spain - 4 nights
Available March to June and September to October – Monday to Friday
Enjoy professional hands-on cooking classes with a renowned Catalan chef in an ancient village in Spain. You will learn traditional Catalan cooking techniques and will stay in a beautiful four star hotel. This program focuses on fun and informative cooking lessons with a chef who is not just a professional, but who is friendly and who will make you feel right at home from the beginning discovering this wonderful cuisine.
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here

CYCLING MEDIEVAL CATALONIA
(Options: Custom Itineraries, Walking Tours)
Catalonia, Spain - 6 nights
Available year round
This 7 day / 6 night Medieval Villages Cycling tour is a perfect way to explore the quieter and less travelled areas of this fascinating region of Catalonia. The tour starts in Girona city and winds its way gently through the undulating and ever changing scenery of the Baix Emporda.
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here

THE SECRETS OF CATALAN COOKING
Catalonia, Spain - 4 nights
Available March to June and September to October – Monday to Friday
Ancient Spain invites you to enjoy hands-on cooking classes with a popular local chef, food related excursions including a visit to a chocolate factory, cheese producer and winery, along with wonderful accommodations in a small village in Catalonia and a warm and inviting host and guide. This tour will enable you to soak up authentic Catalonia and its gastronomy and beauty.
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SECRET SPAIN
Barcelona/Penedés, Spain - 6 nights
Available year round
What better place to indulge in a culinary vacation than Catalonia, Spain? This tour exclusively designed for Active Gourmet Holidays, combines lovely 4 star accommodations, inside "foodie" visits including cheese tastings and vineyard visits, fun cooking classes with talented chefs and of course, incredible meals and superb wine, all the while enjoying the architecture of Barcelona and the countryside of the Penedés region. For those looking for a true gourmand experience this tour is for you!
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TASTY BARCELONA
Barcelona, Spain
Available year round - Tuesday to Saturday
Take a culinary journey into Barcelona for a memorable day-long tour that includes a guided visit to the city's most talked about marketplace, a private gourmet cooking class with a Spanish chef followed by a superb 4-course meal. After your cooking class, you will discover the beautiful architecture and history of the Gothic Quarter. Then onto a guided gourmet walking tour, where you will sample fresh local cheeses, wines, dried fruits, nuts and a regional favorite called chocolate con churros. This tour offers any foodie the incredible tastes, aromas and colors which are the essence of Barcelona!
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here

WALKING COASTAL SPAIN
(Options: Custom Itineraries, Cycling Tours)
Catalonia, Spain - 6 nights
Available year round
This 7 day walking adventure encompasses the true highlights of this fascinating region of Spain. The tour follows the ancient smugglers’ paths, known as the ‘Cami de Ronda’, along the stunning coastal scenery of the Costa Brava. Each headland offers incredible views up and down this beautiful coast as well as giving you plenty of opportunities to dine in the restaurants along the way to fully savour the real flavours of the Mediterranean Sea.
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WINE & CHOCOLATE LOVERS TOUR
Barcelona/Emporada, Spain - 6 nights
Available year round
Designed exclusively for Active Gourmet Holidays' clients, this Wine & Chocolate Lovers tour is for those who wish to indulge in all the delicious delights of what Spain has to offer. Your six night adventure includes a stay at luxury four star accommodations, private guided visits to wineries, walking tours of cultural places of interest, a cooking class with a local Catalan chef, and divine chocolate tastings that will leave your palate feeling very happy it found its way to this treasured part of Spain!
For further information - click
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COOKING VACATIONS MURCIA |
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THE SPANISH CUISINE OF MURCIA
(Options: 3 or 7 night program)
Murcia, Spain – 4 nights
Available April, May, June, September and October
Come and join us for cooking classes and excursions at a beautiful old "cortijo" near Caravaca de la Cruz in Murcia. Located in the market garden of Spain, this region is still relatively unexplored. The unique 300 year old ‘cortijo’ (farmhouse), set in 20,000m² of almond groves, was once owned by the famous bullfighter Pedro Barrera Elbal and has been lovingly renovated.
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here
SPANISH LESSONS AND COOKING IN SECRET MURCIA
Murcia, Spain – 7 nights
Available April, May, June, September and October
Come to Murcia, the best kept secret destination in Spain, for authentic cooking classes and Spanish lessons. You will be taught by a local chef and by local women who have had recipes passed down through the generations. For your Spanish classes you will be taught by a native Spanish teacher who is also fluent in English. The classes will be supplemented by various excursions to enhance your experience in this beautiful region.
For further information - click
here
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COOKING VACATIONS RIOJA |
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GOURMET RIOJA
(Options: Customized Group or Individual Wine Tours)
Rioja, Spain - 4 nights
Available May and October/Year round custom departures
Welcome to La Rioja, internationally famous region for its acclaimed wines and gastronomy. Join us for an outstanding gourmet wine vacation, tailor-made for groups or individuals who enjoy excellent wine and amazing food. Visit La Rioja, one of the most famous and prestigious wine-producing areas in the world.
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LA RIOJA WINE FESTIVAL
(Options: Customized Group/Individual Wine Tours)
Rioja, Spain – 4 nights
Available May and September (and year round custom departures)
Welcome to La Rioja, internationally famous region for its acclaimed wines and gastronomy. Join us for an outstanding gourmet wine vacation, tailor-made for groups or individuals who enjoy excellent wine and amazing food.
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RIOJA FOR WINE LOVERS
Rioja, Spain - 5 nights
Available May
This wine tour spotlights Spain’s most famous and historic wine, Rioja. It also features the newer prestige wine zone of Ribera del Duero. Along with in-depth private tastings of top wineries, you’ll visit the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Gothic cathedral of Burgos, and enjoy gourmet wine dinners every night.
For further information - click
here
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