The Refugio is only one hour from the Spanish border and 1½ hours from Lisbon. Transformed and lovingly restored by owner, Sofia Vieira, from an old rural manor house into a classically beautiful hotel, Refugio da Villa creates a dreamy atmosphere of simple elegance in a land of rustic grace. Thirty exquisitely furnished rooms, including 9 suites, offer comfort in the warm, romantic style of Portuguese hospitality and charm. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, direct dial telephones, satellite television, mini-bar in a casual, rustic yet elegant atmosphere.  In Summer 2004, Refugio da Vila was honored with first place for "Rural Tourism in Portugal" by the Association of Portuguese Travel Agents.

"With every recipe there is a story, with every sip there is a song, and each experience unveils the passion and mystery of an ancient heritage." 

Indulge in the provincial tastes of the Alentejo during a 7-day gastronomic experience. Combining the unique flavors of produce and herbs gathered from local markets and recipes as timeless as the hills themselves, cooks of all levels can prepare and enjoy the diverse Mediterranean cuisine of this rich agricultural region. Non cooks can also join in for all the pleasures of the Alentejo. Whet your appetite with famous regional wines, oak-scented with blackberry aromas, lively and fruity in flavor, during the classes or sampled at the local cellars. 

Cooking classes are held in a specially designed teaching kitchen with a large fireplace for baking the special Portuguese breads and curing sausages. Chef António Miguel Amaral, delights in teaching the unique cuisine of Portugal, especially of the Alentejo. In the friendly atmosphere of the Refugio, he enjoys engaging the clients and feels he is cooking for a huge family. Zepha, the bread-baking specialist, assists Miguel in the kitchen. 

Sofia, fluent in English, accompanies students on the tours. With her background and degree in Tourism, Sofia imparts her knowledge as well as her love of Portugal; it's history, heritage and culture. Her dream of offering a small and unique resting-place for travelers to stop and breathe in the culture of this rich country has come true.

• You will be met at Lisbon airport and transferred to your downtown hotel. 
• Enjoy free time to explore Lisbon before a welcome reception and dinner in the evening. 
• You will stay at Hotel Real Palacio. 

• This morning you will move to the small Alentejana town of Portel at Refugio da Villa, your base for the week. 
• After an orientation walk around Portel, past the 13th century castle and Baroque Church, and lunch, you will enter a Portuguese kitchen and have your first cooking class: Introduction to Portuguese gastronomy, a study in influences and seasonings. 
• Dinner will follow the class. 

• After breakfast you will have your second cooking class: The importance of fish and Olive Oil in Portuguese Cuisine. 
• Lunch is a chance to sample your own cooking! Non-cooking partners can join you at the table. 
• This afternoon you will visit the Esporao Wine Estate, blending ancient and modern winemaking techniques. The grapes of this wine region include Periquita, Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz, and Moreto for red wines, and Roupeiro, Manteudo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha for the whites - all Portugese varieties, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shyraz.  
• The nearby Arts & Crafts center of Reguengos displays a wonderful collection of Alentejo wares. 
• The road winds past megalithic sites to the thousand-year-old village of Monsaraz. Here you will dine under the shadow of the 13th century castle built by King Alfonso III. 

• Today's focus is on local produce in the third cooking class: The abundance from Local Quintas/Farms and ranches. 
• This afternoon you will tour nearby Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cultural Center of the Alentejo, and a beautiful white town with a wealth of monuments from Roman times to the 19th century. Local products include ewe's milk cheeses, pata negra presunto, chourico and linguica, figs and almonds, as well as ceramics, copper wares, rugs and hand-painted furniture. 
• After a walking tour you will have free time to explore on your own. 
• Dinner will be at Adega do Refugio. 

• Cooks, this is your day off!  Today we'll drive into the northern Alentejo and before lunch at Vila Viçosa, we will visit its Renaissance Ducal Palace.
• After passing  though the marble area, we will visit the historical and white town of Estremoz, enclosed within its rampar, and overlooking a vast plain of gnarled olive trees and wheat fields.  
• After passing through Estremoz, we return to Portel in time for dinner.

• This region is knows for its Aromatic Herbs and wild flowers.  This morning we'll use them in dishes that the locals have passed on through the generations.
• Enjoy an afternoon excursion to several traditional peculiar villages.
• This evening, sit down to a Farwell Dinner at the Adega do Refúgio.

• This region stretches from the Tagus at Lisbon to the Algarve in the south of Portugal. Today's cooking class focuses on: The Flavors of the South. 
• After lunch, enjoy a siesta and a free afternoon to stroll, ride out on horseback or bicycle, or simply lounge by the pool. 
• This evening's dinner comes with musical accompaniment from a local folklore group. 

• Savor your last breakfast with fresh Alentejo bread before transfersback to Lisbon.
• Note: Slight variations or adjustments to the daily schedule may be made.