Day 1. Monday

17:45   Catch the Ryanair flight from Stansted airport, taking you directly to Brindisi airport.

22:00   You will be met by your host at Brindisi airport and taken to your accommodation in Collepasso in an air-conditioned vehicle.  Drinking water will be available during the transfer.

23:30   Once at the accommodation, you will be served a welcome drink (your choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and a finger buffet - cheese selection, cured cold meats, vegetable and fruit platters.  Is it too late to eat?  It is never too late for food in Italy!

Day 2. Tuesday

09:00   After a good night’s sleep, start the day with breakfast.  Your choice of a cooked breakfast, a typical Italian light breakfast (cornetto and cappuccino) or continental breakfast.  You will be provided with a light lunch to take with you on your journey.

10:00   On your first day, we will start with a trip to the beach of Porto Selvaggio.  You will be taken there in our air-conditioned vehicle.

Porto Selvaggio is one of the most popular beaches on the Salento Peninsula. It is very different from the long stretches of white sand for which the region is renown.  Porto Selvaggio Beach is part of a nature reserve and you will have to walk about ten minutes through a pine forest to get to the beach.  With minimal commercial facilities, it is an ideal place for enjoying a swim and a hike in a natural setting.

14:00   Lunch break.
15:00   Travel to Galatina for a taste of the original pasticciotto accompanied by a caffé salentino.
17:00   Back to your accommodation in Collepasso.
18:00   Apericena at your accommodation.

Spend the rest of the evening relaxing in your room or roaming around the small town of Collepasso.  If you feel peckish, you may try one of the local eateries in the evening.

Day 3. Wednesday

09:00   Start the day with a good breakfast.  Your choice of a cooked breakfast, a typical Italian light breakfast (cornetto and cappuccino) or continental breakfast.  You will be provided with a light lunch to take with you on your journey.

10:00   Today we travel to a lovely sandy beach - Pescoluse.  Relax in the sunshine surrounded by dunes of soft fine white sand.

14:00   Lunch break on the beach.
16:00   Travel back to your accommodation in Collepasso.
17:00   Cooking workshop.  You will learn to make your own pasticciotto.  Will it be as good as the one you tasted in Galatina?  Or could it be even better????
19:00   Apericena.

Spend the rest of the evening relaxing in your room or roaming around the small town of Collepasso.  If you feel peckish, you may try one of the local eateries in the evening.

Day 4. Thursday

09:00   Another day, another breakfast.  Will it be the same as yesterday or will you try something different?  That’s up to you.

10:00   Today, you will learn to make your own fresh pasta!  A lesson to take back home with you and to apply whenever you feel the whim.  We will make a simple sauce and you will enjoy real Italian food for lunch made by yourself!

12:00   Aperitivo.
13:00   Lunch (with your pasta!).

15:00   Today we travel to the southernmost tip of Salento, Santa Maria di Leuca.  This is arguably the best place in Italy to watch the sunset, so we will definitely stay until the sun goes down.

21:00   Travel back to your accommodation in Collepasso.
22:00   Apericena.

Spend the rest of the evening relaxing in your room or roaming around the small town of Collepasso (if you still have the energy).  If you feel peckish, you may try one of the local eateries in the evening.

Day 5. Friday

08:00   Start the day with a good breakfast.  Your choice of a cooked breakfast, a typical Italian light breakfast (cornetto and cappuccino) or continental breakfast.  You will be provided with a light lunch to take with you on your journey.

09:00   Today you will be taken to Lecce in our air-conditioned vehicle.  Lecce is the capital city of this region and is well-known for its baroque architecture.  Some people refer to it as ‘the Florence of the South’.  But Lecce’s history goes back to the Roman times, as evidenced by the presence of an ancient amphitheater and other Roman ruins.  You will be taken through the heart of this beautiful city.

13:00   Lunch break.

14:00   From Lecce, we will travel to visit the Grotta della Poesia, in Melendugno.  Although it is called a cave, it is really a natural pool.  There are legends of a beautiful princess that came to bathe in this pool regularly and inspired many poets, hence the name of the place.

16:00   We will then go and spend some time on the beach in the nearby Torre dell’Orso.

19:00   We will end the day with a short visit to see the Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea.

20:00   Travel back to your accommodation in Collepasso.

21:00   Primitivo wine tasting accompanied by a freshly-baked pizza.

Day 6. Saturday

08:00   Start the day with a good breakfast.  Your choice of a cooked breakfast, a typical Italian light breakfast (cornetto and cappuccino) or continental breakfast.  You will be provided with a light lunch to take with you on your journey.

09:00   Today we travel to Otranto, the Easternmost point in Italy.  As some people say, Italy sees its first sunrise from here.  We will spend the morning on the beach and the afternoon in the old city.

12:00   Lunch break on the beach.

13:00   Tour the old city.

18:00   Travel back to your accommodation in Collepasso.

19:00   Apericena with local wine tasting.

Day 7. Sunday

09:00 Breakfast again!  Your choice of a cooked breakfast, a typical Italian light breakfast (cornetto and cappuccino) or continental breakfast.

10:00   Take it easy, today is Sunday.  Relax or go for a walk, no activities this morning.

13:00   Lunch at a local restaurant.

15:00   We will go to Gallipoli, spend some time on the beach and then tour the old town.  We will watch the sunset on Gallipoli beach.

21:00   We will spend the evening visiting a local sagra.  There may be music, there may be dancing, there will definitely be food!

24:00   Travel back to your accommodation in Collepasso.

Day 8. Monday

09:00   Today is your last day; after a late night, we will have a late start and take it easy.  Enjoy your breakfast.  Your choice of a cooked breakfast, a typical Italian light breakfast (cornetto and cappuccino) or continental breakfast.  You will be provided with a light lunch to take with you on your journey.

10:00   The last beach on our itinerary will be Baia Verde, not far from your accommodation.

12:00   Lunch break on the beach.

14:00   Back in Collepasso.

15:00   Complete your check-in and pack your bags.

17:00   Apericena.  If you wish, take some to snack on the plane.

It is time to say good-bye, but there are still so many beaches to see, foods to taste and places to visit in Salento.  No worries, we have a different tour ready for next month.

18:30   Travel to Brindisi airport in our air-conditioned vehicle.

21:30   Board your flight.

22:00   Fly back to Stansted airport.

We hope you enjoyed your stay, wish you a safe trip back home and look forward to seeing you again.