A guide to Polignano a Mare – Italian beach town atop a cliff

Polignano a Mare wasn’t really planned when we left for Italy. But on reaching Alberobello, we wanted to visit a beach town because Puglia was known for its beaches. So we decided to do a day trip to Polignano a Mare. And it turned out to be one of my most favourite parts of Italy!

Polignano a Mare is a beach town standing on top of a limestone cliff and is a hidden gem. It’s not spoilt by tourism yet.

How to reach Polignano a Mare from Alberobello

Take a train from Alberobello to Conversano. Buy 2 way bus tickets between Conversano and Polignano a Mare at the train station itself. Walk out of the train station. Take the ascent on the left to reach the main road. Walk left to reach the bus stop. Wait for a long blue bus 🙂

At Polignano a Mare, get down at the Centro Storico stop. From there take a right via the road near the Info Point. From here walk through tiny alleys and streets. Get lost. Stumble upon the 3 panoramic balconies that offer great views of the grotte (caves), cliffs, and the sparkling Adriatic Sea one by one and gaze at the beauty like you never want to stop.

Get lost again. Immerse yourself in the whitewashed houses, lace curtains, art, flowers and streets….

“Hey Wayfarer! The biggest sin of all, is the sin of having a blind soul in front of others. And the greatest joy of all is the joy of knowing the good that we have seen and seeing what is good in the moment.”

…till you reach the 3^rd balcony – that’s the Lama Monachile beach.

From here, come back to the bus stop and take a right so that you can dip your feet in the beautiful beach you just saw.

The beach was so damn pretty!! Green water, caves, pebbles, crystal clear water – I could have just sat there forever. My heart was flying and I felt like a child.

It was time for us to return and we did the mistake of not buying the return ticket for the bus. All the shops were closed for lunch and the last bus was passing by. We waved at the bus. The driver stopped. We told him “Tabacchi (tobacco shop) closed. No ticket”. He signaled us to get in. After reaching Conversano, we approached him to pay for the ticket. He declined, smiled and waved Ciao to us after the bus left the stop 🙂

I really regret not having spent at least 1 night at Polignano a Mare. I really want to go back.

Here’s a general guide to visiting Italy on a budget (flights, visa etc.) + the other places I visited in Italy – Visiting Italy on a budget

🙂