Polignano a Mare Holidays

City by the sea

Polignano a Mare has won itself a seaside spot along Italy’s east coast, overlooking the glittery Adriatic. The towns in this neck of the woods are known for their good looks, and this one’s no different. Twisty, whitewashed streets and pretty piazzas pop up left, right and centre in the old town. What keeps people flocking here in their droves, though, is the way of life – days are best spent glugging spritzes, chowing down on freshly caught fish and cooling off in the sea.

Cliffs and coves

If you pop Polignano a Mare into Google images, you’ll be flooded with photos of one famous sight – Lama Monachile. This pebble cove beach, also called Cala Porto, is pretty enough for any Instagram feed. It takes its name from the Roman-era bridge that cuts across it. And it’s not just sunbathers that are attracted to this spot – cliff-jumpers take advantage of the gently shelving rocks that lean out over the water.

Old town charms

The old town’s winding alleys are home to more old buildings than you can shake a history book at – this part of the city dates back thousands of years. Over in Piazza Dell’Orologio, for example, you can gawp at a clock tower and a palace that have stood tall since the 1600s. And there’s another, slightly more unusual theme running through the whitewashed streets and staircases here – they’re graffitied with poetry.