4 Day Iberian Ham School Culinary Holiday in Alajar, Huelva, Spain
Spain Culinary Holiday
Discover what makes Iberian Ham so special! After your first taste of Iberian Ham, you will realize that better food is possible! Your hosts Lucy and Ángel are passionate about the area and its food, wine, and olive oils. During your stay, you will develop a deep insight into the fascinating history of the area as Ángel and Lucy guide you all the way from gourmet Andalusian breakfast to producing your own dinner with the products you have been discovering. Experience first-hand the sustainable Iberian farming model based on this indigenous breed that roams free in its natural habitat.
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Experience first-hand the sustainable Iberian farming model
- Explore the process from farm to fork
- Meet Juan Carlos, the local artisan Iberian Ham producer
- Practice the art of Iberian Ham carving paired with 3 types of sherry
- Learn how to recognize the true Iberian Ham and the best way of serving it
- Prepare a wonderful meal incorporating the Iberian pork
- Enjoy the meal you have helped prepare and take home all you have learned
- 3 nights accommodation
Seville Airport (US$ 159 per person)
Faro Airport (US$ 284 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Terrace
- Bicycle rental
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
- Tour assistance
Welcome to Posada San Marcos
A unique blend of comfort and sustainability in Southern Spain’s Secret Sierra. The guests speak of the charm of Posada San Marcos, where you have the best of both worlds as you stroll through the ancient, cobbled village of Alájar, then step through the chestnut-wood door into a retreat that blends time-honored tradition with contemporary comfort. All en-suite rooms are designed to ensure the most relaxing stay.
Each room has geothermal underfloor heating/cooling and a terrace or balcony overlooking lush gardens well-stocked with native plants and fruit trees, plus an inviting salt-water pool. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do at Posada San Marcos, and the eco-friendly philosophy does not compromise your comfort.
The six individually decorated ensuite rooms blend time-honored tradition with contemporary comfort, designed to ensure the most relaxing of stays. Each one is different in name (named after the small hamlets within easy reach from Alájar), color, and décor but all ensure a fantastic night’s sleep in the room of your choice.
- Sweet dreams on a memory foam mattress and crisp white linen
- Relaxation in a full-length bath
- The perfect temperature with underfloor heating and cooling
- Fabulous views from the balconies or terraces
- Connection to complimentary Wi-Fi (if you want it)
- Rest (there is nothing to worry about during this escape)
Amenities
- Pets not allowed
- Swimming pool
- Air conditioning (A/C)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Equipped for disabled persons
Complementary activities
- Rural activity
- Bird watching
- Bicycles
- Organized excursion
- Hiking tours
- Organic vegetable garden
Complementary facilities
- Underfloor heating/cooling
- Living room fireplace
- No smoking indoors
- TV in room
Complementary services
- Breakfast
- Cradle
- Hairdryer
- Laundry service
- Pool towels
Program
This holiday is suitable for all ages and families, ideal for a family break. The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the group’s needs and wishes but is typical as follows:
Day 1: Arrival at 12 noon - Visit the Ham Museum and lunch based around the Iberian pig
The ideal introduction to the Iberian ham life cycle from the acorn on the holm oaks to when the ham is at the ideal stage for consumption. Through the six different rooms, you are guided by Ángel as he interprets the indispensable elements that are involved in producing what is considered one of the top gourmet products in the world.
During the tour, you will learn about the “dehesa”, its origin, the vegetation, and the way mankind has shaped and worked with nature to produce the unique ecosystem to its advantage. You will gain insight into the importance that the pig has had through the ages and in particular the Iberian breed and the different varieties, discovering the impact the Iberian pig has had on Aracena and the whole Sierra.
Finally explore the process from farm to fork, how to recognize the true Iberian Ham, and the best way of serving it. If you are arriving on public transport then, Posada San Marcos will be at the bus station in Aracena to meet you. After a coffee, you will head to the museum. If you are arriving by car you can check into your room at Posada San Marcos before the trip to the museum.
After the interpreted tour of the Ham Museum, you will sit down to sample the delights of the Iberian pork cooked in various ways in a local tapas bar. Return to the hotel after lunch and relax in the afternoon before getting together for the sherry tasting (3 different types of sherry), ham carving, and tasting along with other Iberian pork cold cuts followed by supper.
Ángel will explain the art of carving, explain the bone structure and you can even have a try at slicing. Lunch and dinner included.
Day 2: Visit a local pig farmer followed by lunch at a local restaurant
After breakfast, Ángel will accompany you to a local pig farmer allowing you to get up close to the pigs and see their habitat first hand, the Dehesa, a spectacular Mediterranean forest filled with evergreen oaks, a true natural paradise and possibly the best living example of the "Slow Food" philosophy.
You will continue the tour with a visit to a local ham producer and the drying/airing house (secadero) where the Iberian Ham is hung for up to 4/5 years and the charcuterie is cured. Ángel will accompany you for lunch ordering a range of tapas for you to enjoy and understand the way of eating here in Andalusia in a local restaurant.
After lunch, there are plenty of options available for your free afternoon and you will have another opportunity to try the delicious pork products for dinner in the village. Breakfast and lunch are included.
Day 3: Visit butchers to purchase fresh Iberian pork and ingredients for the cookery class
After breakfast, you will drive into Aracena to visit a butcher’s, take a look at the different cuts of the Iberian pig, and decide what to buy for the cookery class. You can enjoy the rest of the day perhaps visiting Aracena and its wonderful caves, having lunch in one of the numerous bars, or opting to go for a walk with our detailed walking notes and map.
At around 6 p.m., start the cooking class using the fresh ingredients bought that morning where Lucy will show how to prepare a wonderful meal incorporating the Iberian pork and a typical Spanish starter. At 9 p.m., enjoy a farewell dinner in the company of your fellow guests, all accompanied by wine. Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 4: Departure day
No rush today as, availability permitting, you can have a late check-out, taking home with you the taste of the Iberian Pata Negra Ham along with newfound insights into Andalusian rural life that they hope will remain with you long after your holiday is over. Breakfast included.
Instructors
Lucy and Angel
Lucy and Ángel are the owners and the creators and the main driving force of the La Posada de San Marcos in Alájar.
Location
Alájar
Alajar is a typical village of the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche. Despite relatively recent improvements in communication and access, Alájar still maintains its age-old traditions and characteristics. Its traditions, buildings, cobbled streets, customs, and crafts, have achieved heritage status.
Alájar is a picturesque village of the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche with the impressive rocky outcrop towering above it, La Peña de Arias Montano which gives name to the place (Alájar means “the stone” in Arabic). From the Peña there is a stunning view of Alájar, its fields of cork and holm oaks, and the gently undulating plain south of the Sierra.
The village resembles the shape of a lizard from above but down below life revolves around its squares and its narrow cobbled streets radiate outwards from there. Many houses in Alájar have their own unique cobbled thresholds and there are many well-preserved houses here with architectural elements typical of the Sierra.
The village has plenty of places of interest to visit: the large 16th-century church of San Marcos, its size a reflection of the large population that lived here in the 18th century when the church was enlarged, the church of Santísima Trinidad (15th-century), the hermitage of San Bartolomé (15th century) and the Peña de Arias Montano.
Although it can be crowded at weekends and holidays, the Peña de Arias Montano is a tranquil place during the week with superb views, abundant springs, and good picnic spots under its cork oaks. The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles was built on the site of a medieval temple and has had several additions, most notably in the 16th, 18th, and 20th centuries.
Its interior was nearly destroyed in the Civil War and the 13th-century figure of the virgin has been restored. In the 16th century, Philip II’s confessor and theologian, Benito Arias Montano, came here on retreat. In 1576, Philip II himself paid a visit to the Peña and meditated here in a cave subsequently called the ‘Sillita del Rey’ (the King’s Seat).
It has a wonderful whitewashed belfry set on the edge of the cliff away from the church. There is also a small visitor’s center with information about the life of Arias Montano (open Monday to Friday mornings only). The Alájar village itself is dominated by the church dedicated to St. Marcos, patron of the village, whose feast day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of April. Please ask reception if you wish to visit the church.
Alájar is a village with fewer than 800 inhabitants but it has plenty to offer: several good restaurants, traditional bars with a choice of regional tapas, a national bank with an ATM, a pharmacy, and a health center. Shops, big and small, old-fashioned and modern, stock a great range of goods. Much sought-after local products such as Iberian ham, various cured sausages from the Iberian black pig, local goat's cheese, honey, and ceramics are readily available.
The Peña de Arias Montano is Alájar’s landmark, a limestone crag overlooking the village, providing stunning views over Alájar and beyond. The site is named after the humanist Don Benito Arias Montano, who after studying for the priesthood was given his first parish in Castaño del Robledo. He rose to become a chief political advisor and Royal Confessor to King Philip II in the XVII century.
Arias Montano chose this spot as a retreat and received a visit from King Philip at the Peña which is commemorated by the 16th Century triumphal arch still visible today. It is a good place to find handicrafts, pottery, and local produce, especially at the weekends. There is also a bar that provides homemade tapas and desserts.
This is the region for the prized Iberian Ham, not to be confused with Serrano Ham, the Iberian Pig a small black animal native to the Iberian peninsula which thrives here due to the dehesa, a beautiful farmed woodland filled with Mediterranean evergreen oak and an ancient model of sustainable farming developed through the centuries to provide its favorite food – the acorn.
The highly prized ham is air-cured for up to 5 years before it is ready for carving and its truly wonderful, unique flavor places it high in the gourmet stakes. San Marcos Alájar, disconnect from everything and enjoy a simple life in contact with nature, at least for a short period of time. Relax in the laid-back atmosphere of la Posada de San Marcos in Alájar and you’ll soon grow fond of this sleepy rural area, with its white-washed villages and slow pace of life.
Rest in a hammock by the pool enjoying the singing of birds. Taste the world-famous Iberian Acorn-fed Ham with a glass of sherry. Watch the sun setting behind the mountains of Sierra de Aracena. Walk along old Roman footpaths. Discover the birds and fauna of the area. Listen to the breeze on the cork oaks, and the creek with its melodious sound, nature is alive here.
Food
This holiday includes all breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. There are bars and restaurants in the village of Alájar and in the neighboring villages that offer an excellent choice of typical and local dishes.
Food in Posada San Marcos
In less than a 5-minute walk from La Posada de Alájar you can find a delicious breakfast at La Posada de San Marcos for just 10 EUR per person. Freshly ground coffee or a great pot of tea just as you like it will be served in a flash! They know that they have got the breakfasts right, guests have told them so.
Simplicity is of the essence along with good quality ingredients. Lucy has really cracked her mother-in-law’s recipe for the liver paste they serve – a traditional recipe handed down through the generations from the province of Badajoz, where Angel’s family originates. The Iberian pork liver pate, another recipe from Victoria, Angel’s mother, is another hit. Extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil is Angel’s specialty.
They have a wide selection of oils for you to try, from Andalucia and Extremadura, including 2 from the natural park. Ángel is happy to guide you through the oils during your breakfast but if you would like more information about the tastes, aromas, and shades of oils they offer, book a session with him!
If you get as passionate as Angel then there are plenty more oils in the back for you to try! For the sweeter tooth, they always have a homemade jam on the go, usually strawberry as Lucy can’t make enough of it, but they always try to make apricot if they don’t miss the short season and quince which is bountiful in Alájar late autumn. Now the lemon tree has begun to produce fruit on a larger scale Lucy will also be experimenting with marmalades!
They buy their honey from Julián who produces his own from a few hives in a mainly cork and holm oak area. The best thing about his honey is that he doesn’t remove the pollen, making it even better for you. The walnuts are from Ana which has a number of organic trees in El Calabacino which is where the wholemeal bread comes from, produced in an old Arabian wood-fired oven by Uli.
The white bread is the typical village bread also produced in a wood-fired oven. Fresh orange juice is available when in season (usually from December through to April) and freshly grated tomato in the summer months. Seasonal fruit and cereal are also available for you to help yourself.
Dinner
They have always produced tasty healthy meals and everyone that has eaten at Posadas Alájar can vouch for that. Home-cooked food made on the day, especially for you is the specialty, using as much local and organic produce as the seasons permit. The range of dishes is based on traditional family meals that are hard to find in other restaurants but they like to add a slight twist too!
The restaurant is based in San Marcos where they offer al fresco dining, weather permitting. The menu will change with the seasons to be able to incorporate the best of each season and once our organic vegetable garden is up and running they will be using as much produce from there as possible.
- Dinner: 25 EUR per person for a 3-course set menu.
- They have a small wine list available.
Picnics
Homemade and just the right quantity! They, themselves, are walkers and they couldn’t cope with the traditional Spanish lunch during a walk. There is sometimes a lack of open bars in the area so, with the plentiful beauty spots to stop and eat lunch in this glorious countryside, they always take a picnic with them.
The picnics consist of a main bite, cheese and salami tapas, a small salad, bread, a homemade cake, juice, and a piece of fruit. You won’t repeat the same picnic unless you specifically request it!
- Picnics: 10 EUR per person
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Lactose Free
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
Why not have a week's holiday and include the Iberian Ham School holiday with some fantastic walking in the area? For more information, please send an inquiry.
What's included
- 3 nights accommodation
- Free transfer from Seville for groups of 4 to 8
- All transport to and from the various visits (if required)
- Typical Andalusian breakfast each morning
- Lunch on days 1 (tapas) and 2
- Dinner on days 1 and 3
- Guided and interpreted visit to an Iberian pig farm
- Guided and interpreted visit to the Ham Museum (entrance fee included)
- Iberian ham and air-cured sausage carving and tasting accompanied by sherry tasting
- Cookery demo/class
- All cooking materials and ingredients
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers fro groups of 3 or less
- Dinner on day 2
- Lunch on day 3
- Extra nights available on a bed-and-breakfast basis
- Personal expenses
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Seville Airport
84 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 159 per person
Faro Airport
149 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 284 per person
Arrival by car
Transfers from Seville Airport (SVQ) are included for 4 or more people. Public transport is available and Posada San Marcos can provide all the details necessary upon booking. Pick up and drop off in Aracena are included (12 kilometers from the accommodation). Transport is provided for all visits during the holiday.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.