Taste, Cook & Experience the Real Algarve

2 customer reviews

Day 1

Airport Pick up + Hotel check in

As you touch down at Faro airport, you will see the fascinating view of the Ria Formosa lagoons, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal. Meet your private chauffeur at the airport and drive 20 mins to the traditional fishing village of Olhão, where you can sense the daily life of one of the most genuine towns of the Algarve. Then directly to the hotel for check in the accommodation of your choice:

Authentic Guest House

Enjoy a leisurely day in GuestMar, a charming cosy guesthouse located in the historic heart of the city. Wander in the old town or simply relax on the beautiful sundeck, overlooking the town.

Overnight: Olhão

or

5* Hotel & Spa

Enjoy a leisurely day in Real Marina 5* Hotel & Spa relaxing from your journey. Wander in the old town or simply relax at the spa or the pool overlooking the beautiful Ria Formosa.

Overnight: Olhão

Day 2

Algarvian Food Tasting & Cultural Tour

Visit the cubist fishermen village of Olhão on a private guided tour, and learn about its culture and legends. Take a stroll around the iconic fish and fruits markets and enjoy the rich seasonal produce they offer, meeting with local charismatic vendors. At lunch time walk around the town and eat in typical “tascas”, typical Portuguese tapas restaurants, where you will taste Algarvian delicacies and regional wines. You will also discover through your journey a traditional female garment “Bioco” and visit a thousand years old cannery.

Included: 9 food tastings, 4 beverages and visits to 3 historic sites

Overnight: Olhão

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3

Olive Oil Secrets & Regional Sweets Workshop

Visit a local olive oil farm and learn about the history and techniques used to produce their award-winning olive oil. Visit the beautiful olive grove and taste different varieties adapted to the Mediterranean climate of the Algarve.
After a traditional lunch in the typical village of Moncarapacho, hit the road and reach your next location. Enjoy a traditional workshop organised by a local person. You will discover the secrets of Algarvian sweets by becoming a pastry chef for the day! You will enjoy the sweet delicacies that you made.

Overnight: Olhão

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4

Ria Formosa Island Wonders

Embark on a private taxi boat and cruise among the fascinating islands of the Ria Formosa lagoons, the hidden gem of the Algarve. Let you be guided by an experienced skipper, that will comment about the area, fauna and flora. You can observe shell fish farms and have the opportunity to see several types of birds.

At lunch time, taste the best fresh seafood and grilled fish, straight from the sea. Your meal will be served in one of the best restaurants of all the islands (the meal includes drinks, dessert and coffee).

Explore wild sandy beaches and feel the soul of local fishermen villages. Immerse yourself into the wild nature surroundings, that will make you fall in love more and more with the Algarve.

Trip includes 3 main islands: Armona, Farol, Culatra

Overnight: Olhão

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5

Algarvian Cooking Class from Market-To-Table in Faro

After a few days tasting Portuguese’s delicacies and learning how the most traditional products are harvested and produced, you will finally be able to cook 3 course meals from scratch including one of the most traditional seafood Algarvian dishes – Cataplana!  A private chef will accompany you through this gastronomic experience and you will have the chance to savour your delicious meals.

Start your day in the famous Faro market and purchase with the chef the ingredients you will cook. Learn a brief history of the "cataplana", the iconic seafood specialty of the Algarve. You can then start your Cooking Classes, helped by the chef and eat all the delicacies made on that day.
Get rewarded with a certificate, and keep as a souvenir your apron!

Overnight: Olhão

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6

Free Day in Olhão

Wake up to the sound of birds and serene views. Enjoy the soft morning glow, having breakfast prepared with local produce.

Today, you are free to do anything you like, either relaxing by the pool or booking other activities such as Wine Tasting & Blending Workshop, Wild Dolphin Observation, Birdwatching or even be more adventurous trying the Catamaran cruise to visit hidden caves!

Overnight: Olhão

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7

Departure

It is time to say goodbye to the beautiful Algarve and get ready for your private airport transfer. You are now richer in experiences, in emotions and have made unforgettable memories for the rest of your life. Get comfortable in-flight and watch over the lagoons feeling grateful for what you have discovered. Promise yourself “I’ll be back”.

Meals included: Breakfast

Book Your Trip

• Activities are subject to changes and can be replaced to a similar one in case of no availability.
• Hotels & room types are subject to availability and to rate changes. In case a particular hotel or room type is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel/room type of equal or higher value and quality level. Before final confirmation, we will provide you with all the details and the trip price will be adjusted accordingly. The same happens in case a hotel has made adjustment to their rates on your desired dates.

Read Customer Reviews

Christina
Travelling dates 23th-29th April 2019
Taste, Cook & Experience the Real Algarve

"What a great trip! Just WOW. Excellent hotel location, great choice of activities (we loved the cake workshop!) and a high-standard service of transport with private chauffeur. This is really different to any tours we have been on before... It highlights the authenticity of the country and its people and helped us to sense the local daily life and traditions. Iberian Escapes staff was so helpful from start to the end. I would recommend this to anyone who is a foodie and wants to discover the gastronomy of the Algarve."

George
Travelling dates 10th-16th April 2019
Taste, Cook & Experience the Real Algarve

"Far away from canned programme, Iberian Escapes offers authentic foodie experiences, highlighting the fantastic gastronomy and culture of the Algarve. Iberian Escapes performed fantastically well and I am very pleased in my experiences. I gave all 5stars because the team did such an outstanding job in coordinating all the experiences and the changes I´ve asked. Thank you very much for making this trip to Portugal one I will long remember."