Cooking and walking holiday, Spanish Pyrenees
Description of Cooking and walking holiday, Spanish Pyrenees
COVID19
Holidays Post Lockdown & 2021
Your safety is paramount, so we have incorporated a minimum disinfection period of 5 days between each holiday we offer (we provide a number of different activity holidays). This will mean there is enough time to clean and disinfect our boutique hotel, all equipment and transport, ensuring we are safe and ready for your visit.
More than ever, the emphasis is on small groups. The combination of couples, friends, family members or solo travellers will determine the maximum number on any particular holiday (from 2 to 8), so please enquire for availability.
The deposit is just €150, and we are only asking for the balance to be paid three weeks in advance of departure date.
If you have to cancel, any advance payment may be transferred to another holiday, or another person, with no time limit.
We look forward to welcoming you to our corner of the Spanish Pyrenees.
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This cooking and walking holiday, in the Spanish Pyrenees, is a week long small group holiday, based in a 17th century guesthouse, located in a tranquil, untouristy area of the mountains. The week’s itinerary is recipe for a fun, active and also cultural holiday, combining walking in spectacular mountain scenery with expert cooking classes, and plenty of wine too of course. Your hosts are Simon and Lucy, who have a great combination of skills as chef and food scientist. As well as having an innate passion for the region, of course.
During the week, you will be guided through traditional villages and remote landscapes in both the uplands and foothills of the Pyrenees, such as in Ordesa National Park. With laid back, easy walking throughout. The Aragon region is also home to the most delicious local produce which is why cooking here is such a pleasure, with lessons that are not only in the large kitchen at the guesthouse, but also in a local state of the art restaurant.
With a maximum number of eight guests during the week, you will be accommodated in spacious rooms, all ensuite. The hub of the week, apart for the kitchen of course, is the large communal living space, with a wood burning stove and stunning mountain views.
The price of this holiday includes accommodation, meals, cookery lessons, excursions and transport (but not transfers from airport or train station-for a charge of €70 pp return.). We do not charge a solo supplement on this trip.
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Reviews
15 Reviews of Cooking and walking holiday, Spanish Pyrenees
Reviewed on 16 Oct 2019 by Jim Holmes
The most memorable part of the holiday was how expertly Lucy and Simon planned our activities, choose our guides and related to the local people. Read full reviewReviewed on 13 Oct 2019 by Margy Britton
The most exciting part of the holiday was walking the near the top of the Pyrenees. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Sep 2019 by Anne Rogers
Spectacular views & great hospitality. Nothing was too much trouble. Read full reviewReviewed on 13 May 2019 by victoria taylor
The warm generous hospitality of the family who run the trip, the peace and beauty of the place so tastefully renovated and the laughs we all had cooking some of our meals were memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Oct 2018 by Paul Brown
Very good. We were on a cooking and walking trip and it exceeded our expectations to include wine tasting, beer making, local history, supermarket visit, castles, apple pressings, bird watching, animal spotting, amazing waterfalls, honey man, coffees, local restaurants, bird watching, gardening, fine food and and and. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Sep 2018 by Vivienne Blandford
Be prepared to be bowled over by hospitality, ambience and experience. Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Sep 2018 by Kim Caldwell
Our hosts were great, catering to a group with different abilities and fitness levels, ensuring that we enjoyed all aspects of the holiday. Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Sep 2018 by Peggy Poole
Simon and Lucy incredibly thoughtful hosts in beautiful setting. Great food, eating out on patio, meeting local people and wonderful walking. Holiday couldn’t have been better! Read full reviewReviewed on 18 May 2018 by Diane Hall
First class. Lucy and Simon could not have been more helpful and accommodating and so knowledgeable. Read full reviewReviewed on 14 May 2018 by Anna Avery
Watching bearded & gryphon vultures flying in the foothills of the Pyrenees was memorable. Brilliant guide, fabulous scenery, not difficult walking. A good mix of walking/cooking/geology/local culture and all in a quiet place: lovely scenery & very friendly company. Read full reviewReviewed on 30 Oct 2017 by Mike Smith
Meeting a great bunch of like minded people on our trip including our hosts. The mix of activities we did worked really well, not just the cooking and walking but also everything else we managed to do including wine tasting, visiting the olive oil co-operative, evening visits to local historical town, and more. Read full reviewReviewed on 07 May 2017 by Una Carter
The most memorable moment was the beauty of the landscape, the freshness of the air, delicious food and invigorating walks. I could go on..... It was wonderful. I feel very much refreshed after it and it is heartening to know such places exist. Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Nov 2017 by Asma Abu-Taleb
The hikes were enjoyable with beautiful scenery all along. Very well planned and organized holiday and a feeling of living with a family, truly a memorable holiday. Read full reviewReviewed on 16 Oct 2016 by Deb Mickle
EXCEPTIONAL. Exceeded my expectations on so many levels. From the quality of accommodation and attention to detail with all aspects of the week . Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Oct 2016 by Clare Cotton
Breathtaking canyon walks far exceeding my imagination. Not forgetting having the experience of a lifetime as two Lamagayers (bearded cultures with 3metre wingspan) glided past me just a couple of metres away. Amazing. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
We are passionate about the environment and the wildlife where we live. The Ordesa National Park is a World Biosphere Reserve and a ‘Special Protection Area for Birds’ with over 171 species, including the rare Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus Barbatus). We support the Lammergeier Conservation Foundation by using guides from the Foundation, visiting the raptor feeding stations with guests and selling the Foundation T-shirts. This helps fund a breeding program in our area which has had great success.There are also well over 100 species of butterflies and moths in our area, including the rare and beautiful Isabelina Moth (Actias Isabellae) and the Giant Peacock Moth (Saturnia Pyri). We have been successful in hatching the eggs and releasing the caterpillars for these moths.
At the farmhouse we have geothermal heating and hot water with minimal environmental impact. We also harvest rainwater for both the irrigation of our vegetable patch and garden, and for the washing machine.
We recycle all we can, including building materials and furniture. For example all the vanity units in the luxury bathrooms are unique secondhand pieces of furniture, adapted with a granite top and basin. All the furniture in the house is antique or secondhand and has been or is in the process of being restored by Simon, your host. Many of the external doors are secondhand and have been adapted.
The beams and stone from the four year renovation of the property have been reused throughout the building process. We continue to reuse this material now as we landscape the garden.
People
We support the local economy wherever possible by employing guides, experts and teachers from our area. We offer english lessons to our guides, providing them with a greater opportunity for work.We involve our neighbours with our holidays, offering the possibility to visit their houses which have changed little through the centuries. This gives a unique insight into the culture and traditions of the high Pyrenees. In return we make donations to the village fund, for amongst other things the maintenance of our historic chapel of San Urbez (hermitage).
We also offer a guided visit to the chapel of San Urbez, explaining the stories about our saint, his miracles and the architectural features. For this, we ask our guests for a donation in the chapel collection box.
We are involved in trying to preserve and restore the local pathways, acting as volunteers as the need arises.
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