My Story of Polignano a Mare
After a full and rather tiring trip to Matera, we decided Sunday is the day of rest, so we only took a smaller trip from Bari to Polignano a Mare. It’s a short train ride of about 20 minutes and costs about 5 euros round-trip.
But why Polignano a Mare? Well, because it’s one of those places that keep popping up on social media: beautiful views of the sea, cave restaurants, tiny piece of beach flanked by rocks… you know, the usual.
After getting off the train along with what felt like the entire population of Bari – I swear a mass of people disembarked into Polignano a Mare and started in the direction of the sea. Naturally, we followed and soon reached the town center. Limestoned and searing hot, with tiny, winding streets that felt like a labyrinth I gladly got lost in.
Before reaching the “labyrinth”, we passed a trinkets market in the square. I’m not sure if it was a one-time thing or a Sunday Market, but there were lots of cute souvenirs to choose from.
Once we got our fill of trinkets, we started exploring the tiny streets. The labyrinth paths take you out to sea from time to time, giving you a breather and a panoramic view to enjoy and take plenty of pictures of. There’s also a belvedere of the beach where we stayed for a while, watching a group of people jumping off the cliffs into the sea – for recreational purposes, of course. I don’t think I’d ever do that – must have something to do with my fear of heights and inability to swim – but it was quite thrilling watching.
We then tried our luck at the beach, but besides us not being properly equipped for the beach, there was barely any sand space left. Also, the bars overlooking the sea would charge a fixed fee that equaled a bottle of wine, if you wanted a table. So, if you plan to go there and have a coffee looking out onto the beach and sea, be ready to have a bottle of wine as well, or at least to pay for it. However, I recommend you enjoy the view for free from other town corners.
When we got enough of the town, we headed back to the train station and as we had another hour to spare before the train arrived, we found a park nearby, with a refreshments kiosk where we spent our time having a drink and relaxing in the quiet. I also found a fun minion-inspired bench that had written on it: “Happiness is found in the smile of a child”.
Now, I know it doesn’t sound like much from my description of the place, but truly, you have to be there. By the time I visited the place, I was already tired and lazy from the previous travel days, but Polignano a Mare is a beautiful town with great seascapes and it’s worth a trip if you’re in the area.
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