Welcome to Salento!

We will greet you at the at the private villa or 5* Hotel with sea views we have selected for our small group vacation. This is where the Gay Salento Food and Wine Vacation adventure begins! Make yourself comfortable in your room and make sure to arrive hungry because a  delicious welcome aperitif dinner prepared by your hosts is the apt start to our week.

• Meals Included: Dinner (aperitif dinner with wine included)

Cooking class Salento style and Pizza Night

After a fresh breakfast we have our first hands-on experience: a cooking lesson from a local chef. The lesson will focus on cooking typical Salento dishes and exploring the variety of local ingredients used. Cooking in Salento, and Puglia as a whole, is very seasonal and therefore recipes differ from one month to the next. Time to learn which vegetables grow in which month! We also have a ‘waste not’ attitude so don’t be surprised to see parts of vegetables used that are generally thrown away. Recipes have been handed down from generation to generation so they truly represent the Mediterranean diet. The session is hands on and time is taken to ensure that everyone is happy and confident by the end of the experience. Naturally we eat what we’ve made 😊.

After digesting our meal we relax by the pool in the afternoon. Get your speedos out and have a swim. In the evening we head to one of the beautiful towns in the surroundings. A culinary tour in Italy would not be complete without Pizza: so in the evening we make our way to one of the best Pizzerias around. A couple of digestives or a gelato finish off the evening in proper Italian Style.

• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Pizza Dinner

Boat trip around Castro and Otranto.

Have a hearty breakfast on us, then get ready for a full day outdoor! Today our group is headed to one of the most beautiful towns along the Puglia coastline, Castro. This area is also frequented by celebrities for its awe inspiring untouched landscapes and natural beauty. We make our way to the port of the town and board a private boat to discover the magical surroundings of the area and its amazing sea caves.

The boat ride will last a couple of hours: fancy a dip in the crystalline water of the Adriatic Sea?

In the afternoon we make our way back to the accommodation. You will enjoy some free time before returning to the dinner table: your hosts will prepare a superb dinner, inspired by the best local recipes.

• Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Market stalls and Cooking with Salento locals

After breakfast our Gay Salento Vacation group will visit one of the local farmers’ markets where we will discover how the locals go about their daily lives. Along with your hosts you will experience the markets in a truly authentic way. Once bought all the ingredients needed we make our way to the kitchen: you again get to learn the tricks of this amazing cuisine with a hands-on class with your Hosts. The typical homemade pasta of the area is called ‘Orecchiette’ which gets its name based on the shape that resembles ears. Give it a go and before you know it you will be a master!

Then, later in the afternoon, we will visit one of the local towns in the surroundings and enjoy dinner Puglia style

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (wine included)

Wine Tour in Nardo’ and Lecce – in the heart of Salento

Today we head to one of the best known wineries of the area, where we taste wines that are unique to the area of Salento. Among the traditional varieties that are grown in the area include Primitivo and Negroamaro.

Afterwards we head to the seaside. Just 10km away from Nardo’ are the typical villages of Santa Caterina and Santa Maria al Bagno, adjacent to the stunning Porto Selvaggio (Wild Port) Natural Reserve. We enjoy a light lunch by the sea (your expenses), while spending some quality time by the beach.

Later in the afternoon we head to Lecce, the baroque capital city of Salento. After a guided walk in the centre of the so-called Florence of the south, everybody is left free to enjoy the city as they wish: a couple of hours for shopping, a spritz, a gelato. Feel free to do as you please, but make sure to join the group again for the evening meal: we will enjoy dinner in the historic center at a restaurant that showcases the local produce, including typical dishes such as ‘ciceri e tria’ (chickpea dish) and ‘fave e cicoria’ (cicory and fava beans).

We will finish the evening with a few drinks in some of the best gay friendly bars of Lecce.

• Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Olive Oil Experience, Gallipoli and Farewell Party with Salento Locals!

After a hearty breakfast, our very own Gay Salento Tour will head to a typical ‘Frantoio’ (farm producing organic extra virgin olive oil). That’s where we will learn not only the history of the ancient olive groves planted by the Romans but also their uses from then until now. Marvel at the ancient trees that dominate this landscape. This is followed by a degustation of olive oils.

We will also explore Gallipoli, a port Town famous for fishing boats and fresh seafood. Meander through the little alleyways and see the locals going about their trades. This town will steal your heart!

The afternoon is spent back at the accommodation so that you can relax and unwind and prepare for the Barbecue night. Still up for a party? Then we can make our way back to Gallipoli, the gay capital of Southern Italy where we can enjoy a drink or two at the local gay bar or dance the night away in its gay club.

• Meals: Breakfast and Barbecue Dinner.