Are you a foodie and getting married? Plan your perfect honeymoon

The foodie concept arrives in the travel sector with a fanfare, offering couples all over the world various taste trails through other countries, transforming a routine necessity into a daily indulging of the senses. Lovers of good food will have pleasant-tasting memories, and these, together with cultural exchange and fusion, make food a great reason to travel.

Honeymoons with gourmet tours can be based on one particular restaurant (such as the Süllberg - Seven Seas in Hamburg, Germany, which specialises in classic cuisine, or Martín Berasategui’s Lasarte in Barcelona, the only new inclusion in 2017’s Michelin Guide) or on the cuisine of a specific region, such as the Oporto Wine Routes in Portugal. They can even be based on one city, such as San Sebastián and its old quarter heaving with bars serving original pintxos, the quintessential tapas of northern Spain.

On the Spanish mainland, Catalonia has without question established itself as one of the most highly rated international gastronomic destinations, by virtue of its enormous variety of restaurants and the reputations they have achieved. In fact, El Celler de Can Roca in Gerona is one of the top establishments, with three Michelin stars, while in Barcelona, this category is championed by the Lasarte restaurant—along with three others boasting two stars and twenty or so restaurants with one star. It could not be otherwise in the land of the culinary avant-garde.

Italy is the perfect country for a foodie honeymoon. Italy’s culinary tradition is undisputed: Mediterranean quality and culture result in dishes that are delicious and suit all tastes. Culinary centres such as Bologna, the birthplace of bolognese sauce; Naples, where pizza originated; Sorrento, the flagship of limoncello, and Perugia, known as the “city of chocolate”; but let’s not forget Milan and its original incarnation of vitello tonnato, based on minced meat with tuna, egg yolk and cream.

There are also tours of the markets where the basic ingredients of this cuisine are sold, such as cheese tours, pork tours, meat tours, spice tours, etc. Not to be missed, of course, are the wine-growing tours, where newly-married couples can learn about wine production and the different wines.

If you’re serious about romance, the Caribbean is the perfect setting for not only the photo album of your dreams, but for newly marrieds to enjoy exotic locations and to experience both new emotions and completely new flavours. Latin America is home to impressive, richly biodiverse landscapes, and its warm climate makes it a favoured destination not only for sun—and beach—lovers, but also among those who appreciate gastronomic tradition and dishes bursting with contrasts.

Mexico is full of places where you can indulge your gourmet side, from visiting a vineyard in Querétaro, to getting to know the cantinas and their different ways with enchiladas (similar to tacos, and with plenty of cheese). You can even pay homage to the popular tequila in one of the luxury restaurants on the Riviera Maya, where master cocktail mixers offer tasting sessions of up to 100 of the best tequilas. But the flavours do not end there: mole from Oaxaca, stuffed chilli peppers, tamales, and sazón casero are all very popular in the Huatulco area, where fine dining competes with views of one of the most beautiful bays in the Pacific.

Wedged between Nicaragua and Panama, the diversity of ecosystems experienced in Costa Rica allows honeymooning couples to enjoy sports as exotic as the destination itself: rafting, diving, snorkelling, kayaking, and so on. If you are a surfing couple, you should not miss the opportunity to take a dip in the waters of the Central Pacific coast and Guanacaste. In addition, the Costa Ricans benefit from the waters of two great oceans and have five different types of forest, perfect for long zip-wires or hanging bridges; here, you can indulge your most exotic adventure fantasies.

Daily life in Costa Rica reveals the most original menus a foodie could ever wish for. Casado is the quintessential Costa Rican dish, and consists of kidney beans, rice with red peppers and onions, fried bananas, a cabbage salad with tomatoes and carrots, and fish or meat chosen from chicken, pork or veal.

A delicious meal to give you energy for a day of strenuous sporting activity, for trails through natural parks, or as the culmination of a day spent in the sun on beaches such as Playa Hermosa or Playa Buena (exclusively accessible from the Occidental Papagayo - Adults Only Hotel, designed especially for couples).

Another dish you must not miss on your visit to Costa Rica is ceviche which, despite being so well known in Peru, is one of the most popular dishes in Costa Rica. Ceviche is an appetiser consisting of raw fresh fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon juice with finely chopped herbs and vegetables. In Costa Rica, the best ceviche is made with local tilapia or sea bass (white perch), accompanied by coriander, garlic, chilli, onion and celery.

Probably one of best places to try it is in the province of Guanacaste, once a modest coastal town and now an unrivalled holiday destination: Playa Tambor. In the exclusive seafront resorts such as the Barceló Tambor, the warm, dry climate guarantees perfect days in the sun on the wild coasts, as well as a genuine insight into the local cuisine. Here, every cantina serves an appetiser of Costa Rican tamales: banana leaves stuffed with a mixture of cornmeal, rice with saffron, pork, and a variety of beans and vegetables. We found it impossible to single out one favourite dish.