Polignano a mare and Monopoli are two cities that are 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 (small) preference for Polignano a mare which is perched on the side of a cliff, many viewpoints offer sublime views of the city and the coast.
Sommaire
Our favorite 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 advise you to stroll through the old streets and especially to take advantage of the many viewpoints 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 under construction at the time of our visit, this is the disadvantage of traveling out of season but it is a good reason to come back and see the renovations!
3. Stroll through the narrow streets with white houses until you reach the Terrazza Santo Stefano Belvedere, from which you will have a sublime view of the small creek of Lama Monachile and its waters of a thousand shades of blue that surround it. The panorama is sublime.
4. Reach the Cappella Santo Stefano, one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the old town.
5. Finish by going down to the small pebble beach, Lama Monachile, you will have again a beautiful view by passing on the bridge. In the off season you can hope to find a small place to put your towel and swim in the incredibly transparent water!
Our map with all our good addresses
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.
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. We strongly advise you to avoid it in the middle of August!
Explore a cave by boat from Polignano a mare
If you want a different view of the city and its cliffs, don’t hesitate to book a boat tour of about 1h30 that will take you to several caves in the area and then you can swim away from the crowd.
A beautiful hotel 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 to find hotels during our city tours, since we work in this sector. 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.
How to reach Polignano a mare?
From Bari
Only 40 km separate these two cities. If you choose to start your exploration of Puglia by the Adriatic coast, it is a 40-minute drive along the coast.
From Alberobello
We reached the town of Polignano a mare from Alberobello after 30 minutes of driving, find our article: Visit Puglia in Italy, one week stay and 10 days tour with all our advices to visit the incredible region of Puglia.
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. Overall in this region we recommend parking outside of the historic centers to avoid being in a ZTL and to avoid having to maneuver in the tight little streets.
Now we take you to discover Monopoli, the second pearl of the Adriatic coast only a few kilometers away. Then we will take you with us to Lecce!
We thank you for having read all the way to the end, don’t hesitate to leave us a note below to tell us if you are planning this trip, or to ask any questions you may have, we will answer you with great pleasure!
