Polignano a Mare and Monopoli are two towns not to be missed during your stay in Puglia, located on the Adriatic coast. Both cities have picturesque historical centers, with small alleys with white houses where it is so pleasant to stroll.
We had a (slight) preference for Polignano a Mare, which is perched on a cliffside, with numerous belvederes offering sublime views of the town and the coast.
We’ll detail our itinerary for visiting the old town, as well as the beaches to explore around Polignano a Mare, so you don’t miss a thing on the spot, along with our best addresses. As always, our aim is to help you organize your trip with ease.
Our favourite things to do in Polignano a Mare [carte]
The old city, perched on the side of a cliff, can be visited in a good hour.
We recommend strolling through the old streets and, above all, taking advantage of the many belvederes offering sublime views of the sea, the cliffs and the white houses.
Our recommended itinerary
1. The arch, Arco Marchesale, dating back to the XVI, marks the entrance to the old town.
2. Go to the small square where the lovely Chiesa Matrice (Church of Saint Mary) is located. For our part, it was undergoing renovations at the time of our visit. That’s the downside of traveling out of season, but it’s a good reason to come back and see the renovations!
3. Stroll through the narrow streets with their white houses to the Terrazza Santo Stefano Belvedere, from where you’ll have a sublime view of the little creek of Lama Monachile and its surrounding waters in a thousand shades of blue. The panorama is sublime.
4. Reach the Cappella Santo Stefano, one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the old town.
5. Finally, head down to the small pebble beach, Lama Monachile, where you’ll have another great view as you cross the bridge. In the off-season, you can hope to find a little spot to put your towel down and take a dip in the incredibly clear water!
One of the most beautiful beaches in Puglia
You can set up your towel on one of the most beautiful beaches in Puglia: Lama Monachile. You can climb the rocks to jump into the water or go swimming to explore the caves around, snorkeling…
It is a pebble beach. Remember to bring beach shoes. The water is super transparent.
Explore a cave by boat from Polignano a Mare
If you’d like a different view of the town and its cliffs, don’t hesitate to book a boat tour lasting around 1h30, which will take you to several caves in the vicinity, then you can enjoy a swim away from the crowds.
Where to stay in Polignano a Mare?
We advise you to sleep in Monopoli instead, because the city is bigger, so there will be more choices and there are also more beautiful beaches south of Monopoli.
As you probably know, we love finding hotels during our city tours. We spotted the hotel D’aprile Dimore during our exploration of the city which is superbly located with a beautiful large rooftop terrace, the photos and reviews clearly make you want to book here if you want to sleep in Polignano.
Are you looking for a place to stay during your stay in Puglia ? To help you, we give you all our advice in this article on Where to stay in Puglia in Italy, and share our best hotel addresses and unusual accommodations.
Restaurants : our recommendations
- Enjoy an excellent carpaccio or cooked fish, for a very affordable price, at the restaurant La Pescaria in a very neat setting. Order directly at the counter and a waiter will bring you your order.
- The Caruso ice cream parlour won the world cup of ice cream parlours in 2015, even if we are not very classified we enjoyed its creamy ice creams.
Our map with all our good addresses
How to reach Polignano a mare?
From Bari
Only 40 km separate Bari and Polignano a Mare along the Adriatic coast.
From Alberobello
We reached the town of Polignano a Mare from Alberobello after a 30-minute drive.
Where to park?
We have indicated a parking lot, 10 minutes walk from the historic center on our map below. The parking is free from 30/09 to 30/05, in high season it is 1,5€ per hour.
Be careful, there is once again, as in all the cities of Puglia, a ZTL in the historic center.
This limited traffic zone is reserved for local residents. On the whole, we recommend parking outside the historic centers in this region, to avoid finding yourself in a ZTL and having to maneuver through the tight lanes.
We’ll now take you on a tour of Monopoli, the second pearl of the Adriatic coast, just a few kilometers away. Then we’ll take you with us to Lecce!
We wish you an excellent trip! Don’t hesitate to drop us a line if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, here or on Instagram, we’ll be delighted to answer you.
