The town of Polignano a Mare is famous for one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, and huge crowds of tourists flock to see it with their own eyes throughout the year. UNIAN.We will tell you what you need to know before visiting this incredible place, so you won’t be disappointed.
Italy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and as a result, it is experiencing the full brunt of the negative consequences of overtourism. This includes massive crowds at popular tourist sites, the ire of locals, inflated prices, and various restrictions on tourists.
However, Italy is a large country, so if you get off the beaten path and go beyond the crowded Rome or Venice, you can discover a lot of interesting things. Over the past season or two, the Puglia region in the south of the country has been actively promoting itself as a promising tourist destination.
However, even in this relatively little-known region, there are places where tourists literally climb on each other’s heads, which significantly spoils the impression of their visit. One of them is the small town of Polignano a Mare, considered one of the most beautiful in the country. You’ve definitely seen it at least once on Instagram or TikTok!
Choose your visit time wisely
The success of your trip to Polignano a Mare depends on the right time to visit. If you look at the summer photos of this city, you’ll see that its white streets are filled with tourists, and the same is true for the famous local beach (in fact, most visitors come here specifically for the beach).
Therefore, our main advice is to plan a trip to this place during the off-season, if possible. For example, we visited it at the end of March, and even then, there were quite a few people around by lunchtime (although it was still much less crowded than during the peak season, so we were able to take photos without any onlookers).
In addition, it is better to go there in the middle of the week (but not on holidays!). The fact is that Puglia is very popular among Italian tourists from neighboring cities and regions, who make weekend trips there, which means even more crowds. Therefore, if you arrive on a weekday, you will have to fight for the most Instagrammable spots with vacationing tourists.
It is equally important to choose the right time of day to visit – the earlier, the better, as most tourists on vacation prefer to sleep a little longer and arrive for their tour closer to lunchtime. This means crowded trains, cafes, and tourist attractions. Alternatively, you can arrive in the late afternoon, when most tourists who stay overnight in other cities have already departed.
Take care of your accommodation
Of course, staying overnight in Polignano a Mare itself would be an interesting experience, but keep in mind that prices are significantly higher than in nearby Bari, and the best options are booked well in advance.
For example, for the months of May to September, there are about 200 accommodation options available on popular booking platforms in the city. The cheapest options for both single and double travelers start at around 70 euros per night, and these are mostly modest private homes. Meanwhile, double rooms in good hotels range in price from 115 to 370 euros, and they are all located within a few kilometers of the beach.
On the other hand, there are about a thousand accommodation options available in Bari, mentioned above, starting at 50 euros per double room.
How to get to Polignano a Mare
It is from Bari that it is most convenient to get to Polignano a Mare – the distance between the cities is about 35 kilometers, which can be covered by train in just 30 minutes.
There are more than a dozen trains on the route every day (if you don’t need to transfer), and a one-way ticket costs only 3 euros.
The walk from the Polignano a Mare train station to the historic center is less than a kilometer, along rather pleasant streets with nice cafes (where you can have coffee and pastries for a bit less than in the main tourist locations).
What to see in Polignano a Mare
The main location in Polignano a Mare, where all tourists go first of all, is the Instagram beach Lama Monachile. In fact, it is a small piece of land with pebbles, sandwiched between rocks with white houses, on which bright turquoise waves of the Adriatic Sea roll.
In the summer months, when the sea is warm enough for swimming, this place is literally packed with vacationers, as they say, “there’s no place to put an apple.” However, at the end of March, the water is still cold, so only a few brave souls venture into the sea.
After that, tourists head to the many observation decks, which offer incredible views of the beach and the sea, including the old arched bridge directly above it, the stone plateau to the left, and the terraces between the houses to the right.
In general, you can spend a couple of hours walking along the coast, choosing the best location for a photo (or just admiring the scenery in the classic way).
Those who want to see the city from the water can book a boat tour along the coast, which costs between 20 euros per person, depending on the duration of the trip (usually 1.5 hours).
If you want to make the most of your trip, you can visit the Ristorante Grotta Palazzese restaurant, which is located in one of the cliffs overlooking the sea (there is also a hotel there). However, the prices at this restaurant can be quite expensive, ranging from several hundred euros per person. So, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth the investment. And that’s not the only place to enjoy stunning views.
Moreover, the city has a wide range of dining options to suit every budget, from tourist-oriented restaurants to authentic family-run eateries and bakeries offering local pastries for takeaway.
Other attractions in the city include the central Piazza dell’Orologio, which is surrounded by many tourist restaurants and souvenir shops.
This square is also home to many of the city’s oldest buildings, including several charming churches.
Speaking of souvenirs, Polignano a Mare is famous for its colorful and unique ceramic products. If you’re looking for souvenirs to take home, this is the place to go.
And then Polignano a Mare, typical of Puglia, is mostly dotted with narrow, chaotic streets lined with small whitewashed houses, where you can spend hours wandering and exploring all sorts of interesting details. Of course, if you visit at the right time, that is, not during the summer holiday season or on a weekend.Advertisementad
By the way, tourists with limited mobility (or just lazy people who don’t want to walk 10,000 steps a day) can use auto rickshaws to get around the city. Drivers are waiting for customers near the train station. They are happy to take photo enthusiasts to the most Instagram-worthy locations, and if you ask nicely, they will even act as your personal photographer. While exploring Polignano a Mare, we constantly encountered the same tuk-tuk driver who took a pair of high-heeled girls around the city, offering advice on the best poses for their photos.
Despite the huge crowds and inflated prices, people will still flock to the world’s most popular and beautiful destinations. However, you can make this trip more enjoyable by taking the right approach to its organization.
