Polignano A Mare

On Italy's southern Adriatic coast, Polignano is most famous for Cala Porto beach, bordered by an impressive Roman bridge, combined with that with ancient cliff top dwellings. The scenery and architecture is stunning and a great place to start our Puglia travel series.

Beautiful blue waters with the contrasting rugged cliffs make it a mecca for beachlovers trying to find a small space on the tiny pebbled beach.

Cliff edge accommodation or restaurants will set you back a small fortune, with Grotta Palazzese coming it around 300 Euro per person for dinner in this famous cave restaurant.

August is the busiest and warmest month, the sun stays up the longest too, there is plenty of water sports to do if you fancy that.

If you want to get into the water and experience an up close and personal view of the cliffs then there are plenty of boat tours and pedalo hire, checkout out tripadvisor for the best one for you.

We really encourage you to get up early one morning and walk around the old town like this. It’s so different later in the day. There are a number of little cute cafes in the courtyards and even a few local craft shops seem to already have their stalls setup. It's truly the best time of day in Polignano.

Domenico Modugno was born in Polignano, you may well remember his famous song Volare, he is now imortised with a statue on the seafront and everyone comes to sing the song in front of his memorial.

In the early afternoon, the town starts to come alive with a sea of people making their way to the beach or for some lunchtime snacks. There is a great deal of choice and usually the places with the longest lines are the best.

Try one of the famous Tuna Pesto burrata sandwiches from Pescaria, they are delicious, and worth the long queue to get one!

Parking is a nightmare in the centre of town, either park at the station which is free or try to avoid coming in a car. A Lot of the streets were closed off and pedestrianised whilst we were there.

If you are looking for a fancy sit down meal for dinner you best research this and book it in advance to avoid disappointment, equally a more rustic meal can be found in many bars willing to serve you a beer and delicious pizza for around 15 euros.

After dark the vibe in the town changes and it's time for good food, drinks in the outdoor bars and stroll around the markets that have sprung up in the late afternoons. This is the busiest time of the day when all the locals and families are out, but there is a real party atmosphere that goes on late into the night.

Gelato is huge in Italy and Polignano does not disappoint with plenty of places open into the small hours! Make sure you try out the creamiest ice cream you will have ever tasted!

This city is well connected and you can be in Bari or Brindisi within an hour. We liked Monopoli just a 15 minute train ride away. See that in our next blog!

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