A Long Weekend in Puglia
Labor Day weekend we opted for the beach and spearfishing. We headed south to Monopoli. I had researched the east coast and found Monopoli to have a great shoreline which is important for my spearfishing aquaman. At first, I considered Bari but quickly saw the shore was not suitable and the accommodations were more expensive (and we can't have that). We did get a room for one night in Bari, however, it was not planned and I’m glad we didn’t stay the whole weekend there. I posted that train wreck of a story on Facebook. We loved everything about our stay in Monopoli- the tuk tuk that picked us up from the train station, apartment, neighborhood, food, beach, nearby towns, taralli, and very nice people. Never underestimate the town no one talks about.
Let’s get on with the juicy details.
Where Did You Stay?
I found a cute little Airbnb in the heart of the old town - steps from a beautiful beach. It sleeps two people, with a hot plate, sink, and refrigerator. There are steep, narrow stairs leading up to the apartment, but it was not an issue for us. My friends came down with their two teenage daughters. They booked our host’s other apartment next door which sleeps four and the entrance is ground level. This is perfect for couple’s traveling together. The host blessed us with a box white wine perfect for one, some cereal bars, and a few small bags of taralli. Taralli is the cracker pretzel looking food I’m holding in the picture below. I ate way too many of them while in Puglia. You should also.
What Did You Do?
Thursday: We arrived around 15.00. After settling into the room, we went for a walk around the town and checked out the beach. We had dinner at a traditional restaurant and returned to the room to rest up for the next day.
Note: If you’re riding the train, or just want a joy ride around town, call Scopri Monopoli for a tuk tuk taxi. The ride from the train station to the airbnb we stayed was 10€.
Friday: I woke up shortly before 06.00 to take sunrise photos. I had a nice walk by the water and around the harbor. I got some great shots that I wouldn’t have gotten later in the day. The fishermen were out early preparing the nets. Nonne were sitting in their plastic chairs people watching. I watched a cat skillfully spy on some birds before leaping with excitement to then turn and go down the alley. I think the cat just wanted to test its hunting skills. After returning to the apartment, I took a much needed nap, we ate breakfast, then my aquaman went diving and I wandered around taking more photos and enjoyed the ocean breeze. We had lunch and later that evening our new Italian friend showed us the hotspots in Polignano a Mare. There is nothing like making a new friend in a foreign place. Diego showed us the Domenico Modugno statue, which I cleverly referred to as the Italian Elvis because of his clothing and Diego burst into laughter. It’s risky when you say something like that as you don’t want to offend when your intentions are to bring about a smile or laughter. Thankfully, he laughed. After we devoured gelato from an 85 year old gelateria, we went to Diego’s home village of Malo di Bari where we had dinner, then visited a bar. This is my kind of visit - eating and drinking at a local’s recommendations with a friendly local.
Saturday: The whole clan, us and our friend’s family, went to see the epic trulli in Alberobello. They had rented a car and were nice enough to let us pile in which meant pushing a teen to the back of the SUV. The teens took turns so they could have the pleasure of lying down. Alberobello is sizable, but can be walked in an hour and a half or so to include taking photos. The men didn’t seem thrilled, but I think the houses are super cute and the town is totally worth a visit.
Afterwards, we returned to Monopoli and went to the beach. The guys wanted to dive but the water was rough that day and not much was accomplished.
Tip: If you are driving in Monopoli, be aware there are no stop signs, yield signs, or red lights in a portion of the centro area and there are many one way streets.
Sunday: Us ladies were beach bums and gallivanted the town while the men went out spearfishing on the boat with Diego. The water and the beach were spectacular. The small beaches can fill up fast, so don’t waste time in getting a spot. I had a panzerotto for lunch and O my was it good! Where have those been my whole life? Sadly, and thankfully, not within reach. The guys had a blast spearfishing and returned with much joy and no fish. That night we had dinner at a great pizzeria. No worries, I’ll post all the eating locations below. After dinner, we walked through the nearby piazza which had a small market of hand crafted items. Then, we did the cheesiest thing and road the choo-choo train around town. It was nice to ride and feel the cool breeze, but it was not so fun and we did not see anything we hadn’t already seen on foot.
Monday: My friend asked if we were interested in taking a boat tour in Polignano a Mare. The boat tour with Giromar departed at 09.30 and would finish around 11.00, so that was plenty of time for us to return, have lunch, and depart for the train station. The boat tour was relaxing and fun! If you’re ballin on a budget this is a great activity for 25€. The skipper took us into some caves, let us jump out and swim, then allowed three members of our crew to jump from the cliffs. In the caves you could see the bottom - it was awesome. We swam near the ever so expensive grotto (cave) restaurant, Grotta Palazzese. I was told it’s 50€ just to walk in and not eat and 180€ for a meal. I’ll swim below, thanks anyway.
Parking Locations
Parking Lot in Monopoli (close to the beach and bnb)
Parking Lot in Polignano a Mare
Where Did You Eat?
Click the restaurant to view location on Google maps.
Monopoli:
The King - They have a great breakfast & lunch menu. I had salmon and avocado sandwich for breakfast two days in a row, then a lunch sandwich. The bread they serve is like no other (not even mine) - it’s delish!
Frish & Chips - grab & go fish & chips.
MADIÁ - The epic (grab & go) panzerotto.
Osteria Perricci - traditional Pugliese dinner.
Sottocoperta - Great location over looking the harbor. We shared the breaded, seared tuna with mustard and pesto served with a chip. It was very satisfying.
I did not eat at the restaurants below, but they were recommended by a local vlogger and look spectacular.
La Sartoria del Pollo - chicken and sauces galore.
Bar La Nave - dessert and drinks.
Polignano a Mare
La Rotellina- I had a panzerotto which was ok for a quick lunch, but not as good as MADIÁ’s.
Ristorante Pizzeria La Rotonda in Malo di Bari - We had seafood and pizza. They have a variety of options.
ParlaPiano Buvette in Malo di Bari - a cool bar down the street from La Rotonda.
Here is the Google Maps List of all the places mentioned in this post and a few more recommendations by our Airbnb host.
If and when you visit Puglia, please be sure to share your experience in the comments below. I have so much to learn and I’m sure others would appreciate it also. If you have any questions about what I’ve posted, ask it in the comments or send me a message.
