SALENTO AND LECCE - FOOD & WINE EXPERIENCE 09/27/2025 - 10/02/2025
- fabio835
- Apr 3
- 6 min read
from € 2,990.00 per person
Welcome to Salento, the southeasternmost tip of Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot. Have you ever heard of this region? If not, please read about its wonders at this link.
Our Gay Salento Food and Wine Vacation offers you the opportunity to explore the world-famous cuisine of this fantastic region between the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Our vacation focuses not only on the region's attractions but also on a sophisticated exploration of the best food and wine of Southern Italy.
Salento's cuisine is rich in fresh vegetables, fish, seafood, and herbs: a Mediterranean cuisine with a creative touch, always using the best seasonal ingredients. It's no wonder the region has earned a reputation as a gourmet destination. On our Gay Salento Food and Wine Vacation, you'll learn to cook like a local, with the help of the region's best chefs. They'll be happy to share the tips and tricks of recipes handed down over centuries. You'll taste the region's finest wines (remember Primitivo and Negroamaro?).
Discover the best olive oils and learn how to distinguish them, developing your palate. Puglia is one of the world's largest producers. On this tour, you'll also eat like kings, as the gastronomic offerings are guaranteed to delight you. We'll show you the most important sights of Puglia and Salento: Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, Nardò, and Santa Maria di Leuca are just a few of the places we'll visit! It may sound like a lot, but there will be plenty of opportunity to relax, unwind, and shop.
We'll also spend a fantastic day on a boat trip and see Puglia from a different perspective! This is the vacation you've been hoping for!
27.09.2025: WELCOME TO SALENTO
We'll welcome you to the private villa or 5-star ocean-view hotel we've chosen for our small group getaway. This is where the Gay Salento Food and Wine Vacation adventure begins! Make yourself comfortable in your rooms and arrive hungry, because a delicious welcome aperitif dinner prepared by your hosts is the perfect start to our week.
Meals included: Dinner (aperitif dinner with wine included)
28.09.2025: SALENTO-STYLE COOKING COURSE AND PIZZA EVENING
After a fresh breakfast, our first practical experience awaits you: a cooking class with a local chef. The focus of the class will be on preparing typical Salento dishes and exploring the diversity of local ingredients used. The cuisine in Salento and throughout Puglia is highly seasonal, and the recipes therefore change from month to month.
It's time to learn which vegetables grow in which month! We also place great importance on wasting nothing, so don't be surprised if we use parts of vegetables that would normally be thrown away. The recipes have been passed down from generation to generation and represent the Mediterranean diet. The course is practical, and time is taken to ensure that all participants are satisfied and confident at the end. Of course, we eat what we cook.
After digesting our food, we'll relax by the pool in the afternoon. Get your swimsuits out and go for a swim. In the evening, we'll head to one of the beautiful towns in the area. A culinary tour of Italy wouldn't be complete without pizza, so we'll head to one of the best pizzerias in the area. We'll round off the evening the Italian way with a few digestifs or a gelato.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and pizza dinner
29.09.2025: BOAT TRIP AROUND CASTRO AND OTRANTO
Enjoy a hearty breakfast and then get ready for a full day outdoors! Today, our group will travel to one of the most beautiful spots on the Apulian coast: Castro. This area is also frequented by celebrities for its impressive, unspoiled landscapes and natural beauty. We'll head to the town's harbor and board a private boat to discover the magical surroundings and amazing sea caves.
The boat trip will take a few hours: Would you like to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic?
Back on dry land, after a light lunch (not included), we finally head to one of the most picturesque towns in Salento: Otranto, the easternmost point of Italy. The town is famous for its east-west architecture and postcard-perfect white sandy beaches.
In the afternoon, we'll head back to your accommodation. You'll have some free time before returning for dinner: your hosts will prepare an excellent dinner inspired by the best local recipes.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
30.09.2025: MARKET AND COOKING WITH LOCALS
After breakfast, our Gay Salento vacation group will visit one of the local farmers' markets, where you'll discover how the locals go about their daily lives. Together with your hosts, you'll experience the markets in a truly authentic way.
After shopping for all the necessary ingredients, it's time to head to the kitchen: In a hands-on class with your hosts, you'll once again learn the tricks of this amazing cuisine. The region's signature homemade pasta is called "orecchiette," named after its ear-like shape. Give it a try, and before you know it, you'll be a true master!
In the late afternoon we visit one of the surrounding villages and enjoy an Apulian-style dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (including wine)
01.10.2025: WINE TOUR IN NARDO AND LECCE
Today we'll head to one of the region's most famous wineries, where we'll taste the unique wines of Salento. Among the traditional grape varieties grown in this area are Primitivo and Negroamaro.
Afterwards, we head to the seaside. Just 10 km from Nardò are the typical villages of Santa Caterina and Santa Maria al Bagno, bordering the impressive Porto Selvaggio (Wild Port) nature reserve. We enjoy a light lunch by the sea (not included) and spend a few pleasant hours on the beach.
Later in the afternoon, we'll travel to Lecce, the baroque capital of Salento. After a guided walking tour through the center of the so-called Florence of the South, you'll be free to explore the city as you please: a few hours of shopping, a Spritz, a gelato—do whatever you like. For dinner, we'll meet up with the group again in the old town and dine at a restaurant that showcases local produce. Enjoy typical dishes like "ciceri e tria" (chickpea dish) and "fave e cicoria" (chicory and fava beans).
We'll end the evening with a few drinks in one of Lecce's best gay-friendly bars.
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
02.10.2025: OLIVE OIL EXPERIENCE AND FAREWELL PARTY
After a hearty breakfast, our Gay Salento Tour takes you to a typical "frantoio" (a farm producing organic extra virgin olive oil). There, you'll learn about the history of the ancient olive groves planted by the Romans and their use from then until today. Marvel at the ancient trees that characterize this landscape. This is followed by a tasting of various olive oils.
Next, we'll explore Gallipoli, a port town famous for its fishing boats and fresh seafood. Stroll through the narrow streets and watch the locals go about their business. This town will win your heart!
In the afternoon, you'll return to your accommodation to relax and prepare for the barbecue. If you're still up for a party, we can head back to Gallipoli, the gay capital of southern Italy, where we can enjoy a drink or two in one of the local gay bars or dance the night away in a club.
Meals: Breakfast and barbecue dinner.
After breakfast at the hotel, it's time to say goodbye! Our exclusive luxury tour of Matera and Puglia comes to an end. A private transfer will take you back to Bari Airport (60 minutes away). See you next time!
INCLUDING
6 nights with breakfast, dinner and 2 lunches included
Soft drinks, local wine and beer included throughout the week
All 2-course dinners with wine (or beer) included
2 cooking courses
All transfers during the tour
Wine and olive oil tastings
information
Italy Gay Travels provides a vacation manager for the duration of the trip who coordinates all activities and accommodations.
All costs/entrance fees for the activities listed in the itinerary are included.
All transportation during the trip is included. Transportation is provided in our car/van/minibus.
24-hour telephone support
NOT INCLUDED
Arrival and return journey
Drinks & additional food
Entrance fees to sights and museums not included in the itinerary
Insurance
NOTES
€ 2,990.00 Price per person (based on a shared double room)
A deposit of €750 is required at the time of booking. The remaining balance is due no later than 90 days prior to departure.
Single traveler? The single room supplement is ONLY €990
Implementation and organization of the trip by our Italy Gay Travels
Program subject to change
