Artisanal sheep cheese workshop 🧀🐑 using milk from the native Portuguese breed Churra Mondegueira, at Quinta Vale do Tourão, where rewilding and tradition meet. The Churra Mondegueira is one of the most primitive sheep breeds of the Iberian Peninsula. As an indigenous breed, it displays remarkable hardiness. Both males and females have spiral-shaped horns. One of the distinguishing features of its wool is its very long length. 🌿Discover how cheese is made from indigenous Portuguese sheep, supporting biodiversity and regenerative land management in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, the heart of the Côa Valley. 🧀Includes a fresh cheese tasting at our family farm, focused on sustainability and rewilding🏡.

Programme

09:30 AM – Welcome & Introduction to the Farm 🐑🌿 Arrival at Quinta Vale do Tourão. Introduction to the farm's philosophy: where tradition meets rewilding. Interpretive Walk 🚶‍♀️🌾 Discover regenerative land practices, solar irrigation, organic management, and living in harmony with wildlife. Observe native flora, animal tracks, and the balance between agriculture and nature. 10:30 AM – Artisan Cheese Workshop 🧀👩‍🍳 Hands-on time! Learn step by step how to make fresh cheese using raw sheep’s milk. Understand the natural, additive-free process that enhances both flavor and sustainability. 12:00 PM – Cheese Tasting 🧀🍷🥖 Enjoy the fresh cheese you made, served with rustic bread and wine. 12:30 PM – Talk on Rewilding & Circular Practices 🔄🌍 Discover how sheep wool is used as a natural geotextile to enrich the soil. Join a roundtable discussion on coexisting with wildlife, using guard dogs, and integrating agriculture with ecology. Wild Côa Network & Farewell 🤝🌄 Get to know the Wild Côa Network and the collaborative movement to regenerate the Côa Valley. Final reflection on how your visit supports conservation, rural lifestyles, and a nature-positive economy. Closing Time 📸🛍️ Time for photos and local product shopping.

What's Included?

Artesanal sheep cheese making workshop at Quinta Vale do Tourão and local products tasting.

How your experience helps rewilding efforts

By joining this artisanal sheep cheese production workshop, you directly support a farm that is pioneering the integration of rewilding and traditional agri-food production. Your participation in our workshop at Quinta Vale do Tourão contributes to rewilding in several ways: You support indigenous breeds and biodiversity: The workshop uses milk from the churra mondegueira, an indigenous and endangered Portuguese sheep breed. By sustaining these animals, the farm helps preserve local genetic diversity and traditional pastoral practices, which are vital for resilient, nature-rich landscapes. You also promoting regenerative land management: Quinta Vale do Tourão’s 38 hectares are managed organically, with crops and livestock integrated into the ecosystem. The farm’s approach respects natural cycles, uses solar-powered irrigation, and minimizes intervention—allowing wild species and habitats to thrive alongside cultivated land. Moreover we use circular and sustainable practices: Sheep’s wool, once undervalued, is now used on the farm as a natural alternative to industrial geotextiles, improving soil fertility and water retention. This circular use of resources reduces waste and enhances the land’s capacity to regenerate. You also help fostering human-wildlife coexistence: We at Quinta Vale do Tourão actively promote coexistence with local wildlife, using good fencing and livestock guardian dogs to prevent conflict. This balanced approach helps restore ecosystem function and demonstrates practical solutions for living alongside wild species. You also help strengthening the Wild Côa Network: As a member of the Wild Côa Network, Quinta Vale do Tourão collaborates with other local producers, artisans, and conservationists to regenerate the Greater Côa Valley—socially, economically, and ecologically. Your visit supports this wider community effort. Finally you help raising awareness and building connections: By participating in the workshop, you become part of a growing movement that values production, conservation, and cultural heritage. The experience is designed to share authentic knowledge and foster lasting bonds between visitors and the land. Your participation helps ensure that farming, conservation, and rural livelihoods can go hand in hand—making the Greater Côa Valley a model for rewilding and nature-positive economies.

Group size

Price per person.