I wanted to visit Polignano a Mare, ( pronounced Polly – on – oh ah Maray) specifically because my daughter’s nickname that she goes by, is Mare. I called it “Mare town” the whole time, and had fun texting her about it. But also, it’s an incredibly beautiful place! Here’s my tribute to Mare in photos from Polignano a Mare:

From Monopoli, we left the centro-storico where were staying and walked to the train station. It was about a 20 minute walk from our hotel, mostly through city blocks. We boarded a train for a short 20 minute ride.

• side note – as we’d rented a car, this was our very first experience with taking the train in Italy. There’s a very specific process in which you much figure out which ticket you need, purchase the ticket, and then get it validated at another kiosk beside the train tracks. There are all sorts of warnings when you read about it that there are people standing near the machines offering help to navigate the machines and the posts insist that you don’t need any help. “These people are just trying to take your money”. Actually, we did need help. There was a man standing close who saw us struggling and came over to help us. He didn’t speak much English, but we said “Polignano a Mare” and he said, “one way or round trip?” So at least he understood what we were trying to do. Once you get the ticket, it’s figuring out which train you’re taking on which side of the tracks and in which direction. As we do not have trains where we live, we had to spend some time there figuring it out. We happily accepted the help, and were very happy to tip this man all the change we had. But in the end, we did it! And it was fun!

The sign in the first photo is the story board that greets you at the train station. It was only a few blocks from there to the coast. The very first thing we did was look at the *famous* rocky beach from above.

You can see behind the beach, the arches underneath the famous Ponte Borbonico su Lama Monachile. According to that website, the bridge was built in the 19th century. It spans the deep gorge formed by the Lama Monachile stream that runs to the ocean, and offers stunning views. Here’s another picture of it from below:

Next, we wanted to have a look at the famous Grotta Palazzese restaurant built inside a rock cliff. We had already decided that we were not interested in spending 200-400 Euro on the experience, and didn’t want to take up the day with it either. We did want to get a glimpse and found the overlook where we could see it.

From the website linked above:

”The Grotta Palazzese restaurant is internationally renowned, as evidenced by the many reviews on the most important magazines and blogs around the world. It has an outdoor lounge, set in a unique place in the world. In fact, the terrace that welcomes guests has been created within a natural cave, the “Grotta Palazzese” (or “di Palazzo”, as it was once called), from which it takes its name, a place known and used for parties and banquets since 1700. Famous, to regard, it is the watercolor of Jean Louis Desprez of 1783.”

The place we stood to view the restaurant is called the Pietra Piatta (Pendma Chiatt) . I’ve linked it to Google Maps there. It’s a popular spot for the views and entirely worth it.

Next, we headed over to the Santa Maria Assunta or Church of St Mary of the Assumption. From the link:

In Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II stands the church, Santa Maria Assunta, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, but better known as the Chiesa Matrice or Mother Church. Probably built on the remains of a pagan temple, it was consecrated in 1295. The base of the bell tower dates back to the 1500s, but was completed in later periods. 

As Polignano a Mare is coastal, it’s known more for its Seafood. Particularly, their octopus sandwich, the ‘Panino col popo”. While we may have liked to have tried it, and I do love seafood more than anything usually, I was having a pizza moment and craved it constantly while we were there. It’s all I could think about, so we went with the pizza instead of the famous sandwich.

After lunch, we headed down to the beach. If you know us, you know we love to look for rocks, pottery, and sea glass. Shannon spent some time at this while I relaxed and took pictures. Honestly, the rocks were a little hard for my feet and ankles without shoes on, and I wasn’t in shoes I could douse into the ocean. I’d recommend shoes if you’re over 50 – just sayin.

If you were living in the 1970’s, you may remember a song from a commercial for the car, “Volare” . That’s how I remember it at least. The actual song, however, came out in 1958.

Volare, oh oh
Cantare, oh oh oh oh
Let’s fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like bird of a feather, a rainbow together we’ll find

Volare, oh oh
Cantare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Let’s fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like bird of a feather, a rainbow together we’ll find

Volare, oh oh
Cantare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings

Wouldn’t you know it? The man who made that song famous is from Polignano a Mare! The lyrics of the song appear above the Via Roma in Polignano a Mare. The man is Domenico Modugno, and the song is actually titled Nel blu dipinto di blu

Another neat thing about Polignano a Mare, is that there are quotes, paintings, and drawings on walls and stairs all around the centro storico. I like words, quotes, and drawings/paintings a lot, and was charmed by this!

One of the last things we did before heading out, was walk down to a rocky shore where people were swimming to get a better look. It was slightly north of the famous beach, and far less crowded.

In the late afternoon, we took the train back to Monopoli. We were glad that we had not chosen to stay in Polignano a Mare, and both felt that this day trip was plenty of time here. It was beautiful and worth the trip, but we didn’t need more than a few hours. We recommend the stay in Monopoli instead! When we got back, we ate dinner at a beautiful outdoor spot in the old town called Radici.

The next morning we headed to Lecce and Otronto. I’ll tell you all about it next!