Stirred Travel has announced that Galapagos born chef and fire cooking expert Ana Ortiz will host their luxury culinary week at Hacienda de San Rafael in Andalusia, Spain in April.

Ana grew up in the Galapagos Islands where feasts cooked over fire were a regular part of family life.

Stirred has hosted culinary weeks with many notable chefs including José Pizarro, Pizarro restaurants; Jeremy Lee, Quo Vadis; and Jake Simpson, Bocca di Lupo. This year there’s still availability to have hands-on cooking classes and shared meals with the well known chefs Neil Bothwick from The French House (15-21 June 2026) and Henry Harris from Bouchon Racine (31 August-6 September 2026). Both weeks take place at La Bastide in Provence, which is situated ten miles south of St Remy de Provence in the Alpilles and has 11 ensuite rooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen with Lacanche stove, extensive gardens and original stone staircases and fireplaces.

In Andalusia, Ana will be cooking at Hacienda de San Rafael from 19-25 April 2026, using her South American heritage to influence her love of southern Spanish food and making the most of the local Andalusian produce. Guests will learn to create Andalusian dishes with a South American twist and have an outdoor cooking on fire lesson, learning how to cook fish, seafood, meat and vegetables directly on the embers. The hacienda is a beautifully restored 18th century olive estate in the heart of the sherry region between the cities of Seville and Jerez de la Frontera. Close to the white villages of Andalusia, the house is surrounded by hectares of gardens with charming areas for al fresco dining and features a professionally appointed kitchen. As well as cooking classes and shared meals with Ana, there will be a guided tour of the fresh fish and produce markets in Jerez, a guided tour and tasting at one of the oldest and most highly respected sherry bodegas and a private flamenco demonstration.

There are more culinary weeks in the autumn including a week from 6 to 12 September 2026 at Villa Casagrande in Veneto, Italy – a grand 15th century villa facing the main piazza of Cison di Valmarino, with the foothills of the Dolomites in the distance. Rooms in the main house feature frescoed ceilings and original features coupled with contemporary touches, while cooking classes take place in an impressive state-of-the-art kitchen with stone floors and Venetian fireplace. And there’s a second week at the Hacienda from 4 to 10 October 2026.

Each week offers guided market trips, exclusive access to local producers and tables at the best local restaurants. Relaxed meals are taken al fresco with all dinners paired with carefully selected regional wines, chosen for interest as well as outstanding production.

Prices in 2026 start from £4,950 per person for six nights, based on double occupancy and includes accommodation, all tuition, food, wine, drinks, restaurant meals, trips, tours, tastings and airport transfers. Group size ranges from 8 to 16 people per week.