Polignano a Mare is a small town on the Adriatic coast south of Bari, built on limestone cliffs above the sea. The old town's most famous feature is a view from a terrace looking down at a beach wedged between cliff walls — Lama Monachile, one of Italy's most photographed spots. The town has grown enormously popular in recent years, driven by social media and low-cost flights to Bari, and the summer crowds can be intense. But the cliff-top setting is genuinely dramatic, the old town has good restaurants and gelaterias, and the wider coastline offers cave-pocked cliffs and clear water for swimming and boat trips.
Why Stay in Polignano a Mare
- Cliff-top old town: Buildings perch directly on the cliff edge with sea caves below. Balconies hang over the water. The combination of medieval streets and dramatic coastal geology is the town's defining feature.
- Lama Monachile: The cove beach between two cliff walls is the iconic image. It's small, crowded in summer, and the stones are uncomfortable — but the setting is undeniably photogenic. The Roman bridge above it completes the scene.
- Boat trips: Trips along the coast explore sea caves and grottoes. The boat perspective reveals cave entrances, cliff formations, and the underside of the old town that you can't see from above.
- Gelato: Polignano claims to be the birthplace of Domenico Modugno (of "Volare" fame, with a statue on the seafront). More practically, it's home to some of Puglia's best gelaterias and a general food scene that punches above its weight.