The top 10 weekend getaways

1. Feel the heat of the salsa beat

Let a touch of Cuban sunshine brighten up a dull English winter with this three-day salsa dancing course. Even absolute beginners are guaranteed to get happy feet after this lively introduction to classic Miami moves, merengue from the Dominican Republic and Colombian vallemato. Your instructor is Paul Bottomer, troubleshooter coach for BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing, who will guide you through two daily sessions before letting you put everything into practice at an evening dance. Courses are held at one of four country-house hotels owned by HF Holidays, where everyone gathers together for breakfast and dinner, leaving the afternoons free to explore the surrounding countryside. Bring a pair of light shoes with non-slip soles.

Getting there: HF Holidays (08452 606066; hfholidays.co.uk) offers three nights' full-board from 16 February at Newfield Hall in Malhamdale in the southern Yorkshire Dales or Abingworth Hall in the Sussex South Downs from 23 March for £239 per person. The courses take place at its other country house hotels in Derwentwater in the Lake District and Dovedale in the Peak District at other times of the year.

2. Indulge your artistic side

The cold winter landscape can be your inspiration if you join the weekend residential art courses run by the Cheshire artist Michael Moore. The venue is 17th -century farmhouse Harrop Fold Farm, set in 20 acres of land on the edge of the Peak National Park, four miles from Macclesfield. All levels are welcome, even if you haven't picked up a paintbrush since school days, and you can choose between watercolours or oils. Accommodation is in the cosy and luxurious farmhouse b&b, where roaring fires, afternoon tea and delicious farmhouse cooking make for a relaxing break between brush strokes. If you're stuck for ideas you can always join in some of the farm activities, such as calf-feeding and egg-collecting. Or drive the short distance to Lyme Park, which stood in for Pemberley in a BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. And at the end of the weekend, your artistic efforts will be properly mounted and framed for you to take home.

Getting there: A residential two-night art break at Harrop Fold Farm (01625 560085; harropfoldfarm.co.uk) costs £300 per person, including all materials and food and drink. Non-painting partners can come along for the price of £200.

3. Get pampered, Italian style

A stay in an Italian agriturismo, or farm hotel, doesn't mean you have to rough it. Cascina Papaveri, a 1850s farmhouse in the Piedmont region south of Turin, sits in its own organic vineyard and has five luxurious en suite bedrooms as well as an indoor pool complex. If the weather is dry, you can have a full-body massage on the terrace with its sweeping views of hill-top villages and valleys below. Or enjoy a facial that uses local organic ingredients, followed by a manicure or pedicure or hot-stone therapy. After such tiring experiences, take a dip in the indoor pool, have a sauna or try out the Pilates sessions on offer. The winter programme also includes cookery classes using local organic produce.

Getting there: Cascina Papaveri (00 39 0 141 962 044l; cascinapapaveri. com) is offering four nights for the price of three over the winter. Prices start at £449 per person and include all meals with wine, two spa sessions, two cookery classes and two Pilates sessions. The nearest airports are Turin and Genoa, both of which are served by Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com).

4. Unleash the author in you

Get your creative juices flowing at a writing workshop set in Ireland's dramatic Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. Run by Salmon Poetry editor Jessie Lendennie, the workshops cover both writing and publishing and are limited to groups of eight. It's particularly recommended for beginner writers, although participants will have to be prepared to discuss what they've written in front of the group. Most people stay in the nearby village of Doolin, a centre for traditional Irish music.

Getting there: Two days of workshops at The Writing Place (00 353 65 7081941; salmonpoetry/ theplace) cost €160 (£108) per person, which includes lunch. Personal tuition can be arranged on request. Accommodation can be found in Doolin, where a double room at the ultra-modern Hotel Doolin (00 353 65 707 4111l; hoteldoolin. ie) costs €65 (£44) per person, based on two sharing. A cheaper option is the Rainbow Hostel (00 353 65 7074415; rainbow hostel. com, where shared rooms cost €14 (£9.50).

5. On the wings of Puccini

A weekend of high culture in Milan will put the midwinter blues in their place. Combine a tour of Italy's fashion capital with a guided tour of Leonardo's Last Supper fresco at Santa Maria della Grazie and lunches in renowned vineyards including the Franciacorta estate. Top off the weekend with excellent seats at a performance of Puccini's Madama Butterfly at La Scala, Milan's glorious 18th-century opera house, which is enjoying a renaissance after extensive refurbishment kept it closed for several years.

Getting there: Arblaster and Clarke (01730 263111; arblasterandclarke.com) offers three nights in a four-star hotel in central Milan from £1,199 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, transfers, first-class tickets to La Scala, three dinners, breakfast, wine tours, a guide, tour manager and entrance to all sites.

6. Stretch to a yoga retreat

Refresh a tired mind and body with a yoga holiday at the Molino del Rey retreat high up in the beautiful Andalucian nature reserve of Sierra de las Nieves. Classes are held in the enormous, light-filled main studio which has been built into the mountainside. The centre also has a series of specially adapted caves for solitary mediation. The outdoor swimming pool is imaginatively built into the caves, giving it the look of an exotic grotto. Sessions consist of morning and afternoon asana practice, pranayama, chanting and meditation.

Getting there: Lotus Journeys (020-8968 3666; lotusjourneys.com) offers three-night stays at Molino del Rey for €330 (£223) per person, based on two sharing, or €420 (£283) for single accommodation. The prices includes vegetarian full- board but exclude flights. The centre is an hour's drive from Malaga airport, which is served by a number of airlines. The next breaks are 4-7 January and 11-14 January, and Lotus Journeys is also offering a five-day New Year package for €850 (£573) per person.

7. Get a taste for Champagne

Tickle your palate with a weekend exploring the great Champagne houses of Pommery, Moët et Chandon and Ruinart. You can take the adventurous option and abseil into the cellars, followed by a lesson in sabrage, the art of opening a champagne bottle with a sword - best done before you get stuck into the tastings. Or you can opt for the prestigious tour with four-course gourmet meals. Both options give you the chance to follow the process of champagne-making from start to finish, and this self-drive holiday means you can take plenty of bottles home with you.

Getting there: Grape Escapes (08707 667617; grapeescapes.net) offers a Champagne weekend from £224 to £662 per person, depending on the class of hotel. The price includes Dover-Calais ferry crossings, two nights' b&b, full-day private coach tour, cellar visits, lunches and an English-speaking guide. Bespoke tours of neighbouring wine-making such as Burgundy and Chablis are also available.

8. Cook up a storm in Madeira

The food of this Portuguese colony, which enjoys a warm climate year round, is rich in exotic flavours. Guests at the five-star Quinta das Vistas hotel can receive a tasty introduction to the island's cuisine at a four-day cookery course, including visits to the local market in Funchal. Return home inspired to wow your friends with some of the Madeiran specialities you've learnt.

Getting there: The four-night course starts at £487 per person with Quinta das Vistas (00 351 291 750 007; quintadasvistasmadeira.com), including accommodation, breakfast, cookery classes and visits to markets. Flights cost extra: TAP (0845 601 0932; flytap.com) offers daily flights starting at £139 return, and British Airways (0870 850 9850; ba.com) from £149.

The best French treasures

At the Le Castel Steeplechase in Normandy, there's no need to get on a horse. For this intimate chateau, near Mont St Michel, is home to a unique treasure hunt which takes in some of the exquisite abbeys and churches of the region. Three nights' at Le Castel (00 33 2 33 17 00 45; le-castel-normandy.com) cost from €265 (£179) per person, based on two sharing, with breakfast and a four-course candlelit dinner each night of your stay.

The best chill-out break

Brrr! Get really cold trying out cryotherapy at the AquaCity Resort in northern Slovakia. It's the latest "cure-all" treatment, said to help circulation and joint problems. First, stand in a chamber that's chilled to -60C for one minute, then bear two minutes at -120C. Czech Travel (01733 327766; czechtravelonline.com) offers three-night breaks for £299 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, half-board and three sessions.