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 Join a Luxury Gay Singles Foodies Tour of Puglia, Italy! Our authentic and extravagant Gay Singles Week – Foodies Tour of Puglia is a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the world-famous food in this amazing location along with like-minded gay singles. Our tour combines the must-see sights of Puglia with a sophisticated exploration of the food and wine specific to the region.
Think seasonal vegetables, local cheeses, seafood from the extensive coastline and amazing meat, this is not Italian food as you know it. Puglia cuisine is based on a Mediterranean diet but here the food is explored creatively and always on seasonal produce. During the Gay Singles Week you will create inspired dishes with local chefs, while learning all the tricks and trades from centuries of passed-down traditions. You will also eat like kings on this tour as the gastronomy included will ensure you indulge.
Not convinced? We also throw in trips to food producers, regional markets, wineries and olive groves. We will also make sure to show you the key sights of Puglia and Salento: Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, Nardo’, Santa Maria di Leuca are only a few of the places we will visit! It sounds like a lot but there will be plenty opportunity to relax, unwind and shop. We will have a day on a boat excursion looking at Puglia from another angle.
This Gay Singles Week – Foodies Tour is open to all levels of cooking: you will be learning about the amazing Pugliese kitchen so there is a new trick for everyone to learn! The Gay Foodies Tour also offers an onsite massage therapist for those wishing to unwind and relax if the cooking gets to hot!
• Gay Singles Week: Meet like-minded single foodies
• All Inclusive: all meals included!
• Learn to cook like the locals
• Gastronomy meals from the best parts of the region
• Visit local markets and learn all about the ingredients of Puglia
• Wine tasting
• Olive oil degustation
• Visit key sights including Lecce, Gallipoli, Nardo’, Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca
• Make new friends from all over the world
• Luxury Accommodation in a private villa
• Be pampered by your Italy Gay Travel hosts
Day 1
 We will collect you either from Brindisi airport, connected to many destinations in Europe and beyond, or Lecce train station. From there we make our way to the private villa we have reserved exclusively for our group. This is where the Luxury Gay Salento Food and Wine Tour adventure begins! Make yourself comfortable in your room and make sure to arrive hungry: a delicious welcome aperitif dinner prepared by your hosts is the apt start to our tour.
Meals Included: Dinner (aperitif dinner with wine included)
Day 2
 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 and 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 visit one of the most beautiful towns of the region, Gallipoli, famous for its long sandy beaches and its Old Town. Get your speedos out and have a swim in the crystaline waters or explore the town in your own time. The catch of the day will be dinner, freshly served fish and seafood in one of the best spots in the area. A couple of digestives or a gelato finish off the evening in proper Italian Style.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3
 After a hearty breakfast, the Luxury Gay Salento Food and Wine Tour departs for the Southeastern-most point of Puglia: Santa Maria di Leuca. This area is frequented by celebrities for its awe inspiring untouched landscapes and natural beauty. After exploring the city and learning what makes it so special, we make our way to the port of the town and board a private boat to discover the magical surroundings of the area by the sea.
An aperitif and a light lunch will be served on board: the rest of the afternoon is spent on the boat sunbathing, swimming and resting.
In the afternoon we make our way back to the villa. Some free time before returning to the dinner table: your hosts will prepare a superb dinner, inspired to the best local recipes.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (three courses with wine included)
Day 4
 After breakfast we visit one of the local farmers’ markets. Here we discover how the locals go about their daily lives. Along with your hosts and a local chef you will experience the markets in a truly authentic way. Once we have bought our ingredients we make our way back to the villa. Back in the kitchen we again get to learn the tricks of this amazing cuisine with a hands-on class with a local Mamma. We also learn how to make fresh pasta from scratch. 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!
Later in the afternoon we visit Otranto, the coastal port rich in history. This is the Easternmost part of Italy and is postcard famous for its location at the very edge of Puglia. East meets West architecture and white sandy beaches await you. Spend a few hours at your own pace exploring this gem.
A culinary tour in Italy would not be complete without Pizza: in the evening we make our way to one of the best Pizzerias around.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Pizza Dinner (wine included)
Day 5
 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. The traditional varieties that are grown 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, 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: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6
 After a hearty breakfast, the Gay Salento Tour will head to a typical ‘Frantoio’ (farm producing organic extra virgin olive oil). Here we will learn the history of the ancient olive groves planted by the Romans and 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 Porto Cesareo, 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 villa where you can relax and unwind and prepare for the Barbecue night. Those willing to party can make their way back to Gallipoli, the gay capital of Southern Italy where we can enjoy a drink or two at its local gay bar.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Light Lunch and Barbecue Dinner.
Day 7
It’s time to say goodbye: this amazing Gay Singles Week is over! We will arrange drop-offs to Brindisi airport or Lecce train station, and see you soon!
Meals: Breakfast
Optional add-ons:
• There are a range of massage treatments available at the Masseria.
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