Polignano a Mare is a postcard town settled on Puglia’s Adriatic coast. Its old town clusters on a clifftop, with the newer part of town unfolding behind. The limestone cliffs on this part of the coast are honeycombed with caves. You can swim to some of them straight from the white-pebble beach of Cala Porto; to see those further away, hire a kayak to paddle along the coast.
The old town’s maze of narrow streets are edged with whitewashed houses. Radiating out from the café-lined Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, they twist and turn before emerging out onto panoramic terraces overlooking the coast (perfect spots for watching the cliff divers jumping and somersaulting into the clear waters).
Polignano a Mare puts you in a great position for exploring more of Puglia. Historic Monopoli is only 10 minutes along the coast, the Castellana Caves are 20 minutes’ drive away, and Alberobello’s iconic trulli can be reached in half an hour.
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Lines open: Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:30 (Wednesdays from 9:30), Bank Holidays 10:00 to 16:00.
The zig-zag coastline around Polignano a Mare means the beaches tend to come pocket-sized rather than supersized.
In the centre of town is Cala Porto. This is the beach you’ll see on all the postcards – a narrow inlet of white pebbles and glass-clear waters, watched over by the clifftop old town. Swim out to the little grotte along the cliffs, or join daredevil locals in jumping off the rocks into the water.
Around 10 minutes’ walk from the old town is Cala Paura, an even smaller beach with a Blue Flag award and calm, warm waters sheltered by the cliffs.
Flight Information
Flights to Puglia arrive into Bari (BRI) from London Gatwick and London Stansted or Brindisi (BDS) from London Gatwick and Manchester (indirect) and take approximately 3 hours. Please call our Italy Experts in order to book flights to Brindisi.
Visa Information
At the current time, British citizens do not require a visa to visit Italy.
Tipping
Whilst tipping isn’t embedded into Italian culture it is always appreciated as an acknowledgement of good service. Nowadays people generally round up a bill in a bar or cafe and leave 5-10% extra on a restaurant bill. Taxi bills are usually also rounded up.
On guided tours/excursions, it is customary to leave a token of appreciation for the driver and guide.
On small group escorted tours, it is customary to leave a token of appreciation for the driver and guide at the end of the tour.
Introduction to languages
The official language of Italy is Italian. English is widely spoken too, so getting by is easy.
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