Arrival in the afternoon at your hotel, an elegant manor house in the historic town of Santarem. There'll be welcome drinks and your hosts will discuss the week ahead before a Ribatejo dinner specially prepared for you. Around 10.30am we set off on a private tour of historic Santarem – its food market and main monuments. There'll be some free time afterwards for you to explore the town and do some shopping. We'll give you tips as to where to find local delicacies. Back at the hotel, relax or have a swim before your first cooking class at the end of the afternoon. The class will centre around Portuguese home-style cooking, with a specific emphasis on the authentic desserts of the convents. The cooking class will be hosted by Claudia Santos, both the owner and chef de cuisine of our hotel, together with her mother Dona Isabel in the spacious kitchen of the hotel. The cooking classes will be a combination of a demonstration of techniques and hands-on cooking. Dinner follows in the hotel dining room with matching wines. Today we visit one of the grandest monastery's on the Iberian Peninsula - the Mosteiro de Santa Maria in Alcobaca -in a small town surrounded by fruit orchards whose peaches are superb. The building has a celestial simplicity and a creek running through the giant kitchen which supplies the monks with fresh fish. Lunch will be at a local tavern. The late afternoon cooking class focuses on modern Portuguese cooking. It will be taught by Chef Luis in the kitchen of his renowned local restaurant. Luis favours pure flavours and local seasonal ingredients over ultra modern techniques. The class will be followed by a dinner of the dishes paired with matching wines in the restaurant of Chef Miravent. In the morning we will leave for a tour of the quinta of one of the region’s finest wineries. The tour will be followed by a wine tasting with a light lunch. We get back to the hotel in the afternoon, for a snooze or a swim. The late afternoon cooking class starts at 6 pm. You'll be in the capable hands of Chef Luis at his restaurant once more, followed by dinner with wine. Today it’s off to Tomar, a jewel of a city in Ribatejo, 1 hour north of Santarem. We will visit the splendid former headquarters of the Templar’s in the old town, rounding the visit with lunch at an enjoyable taberna After the tour it's back to our hotel, where you can unwind. This evening is free for your own enjoyment. You have the morning to yourself to explore or relax by the pool. Around noon we leave for a private tour of a second winery in Ribatejo. It is a beautiful historic place, the estate containing one of Ribatejo’s most beautiful manor houses. The 17th and 18th century buildings, while preserving the original baroque features of its architecture, also house an excellent modern wine making operation. Our tour of the quinta will be followed by a wine tasting of their signature wines, accompanied by some delicious local food, serving as a light lunch. After the tasting we will drive back to our hotel, to relax before cooking at 6 pm This class, taught by Chef Luis, may concentrate on the game dishes of the Ribatejo region. The class will be followed by dinner with wine at the restaurant. A leisurely start to the morning. At around 11.00 you will be picked-up for a trip to Quinta Vale de Lobos, one of Portugal's best olive oil producers. There will be an opportunity to see the picturesque farm and the surrounding land; learn about the production of olive oil, and have a comparative olive oil tasting. Free time in the afternoon. Your week ends with a delicious farewell dinner at Chef Luis' restaurant with live fado music. Breakfast at leisure. Guests depart during the morning or afternoon This course is available all year round on a request basis and runs from Sunday to Sunday.