A car from Positano to Naples and then a bus from Naples to Bari gets us to Puglia – the “heel of the boot” of Italy. With so much other great stuff to see in Italy – Rome, Florence, Venice, Amalfi, Tuscany – most Americans don’t make it this deep. And that’s unfortunate, cuz it’s another pretty great place.
We rented a car – Jeep Renegade subcompact SUV – and after crowbarring ourselves and massive amounts of luggage inside, made our way to Polignano a Mare, a cliff side town on Italy’s Adriatic Coast.
First thing you notice about Polignano a Mare is that it’s really beautiful here. Check out this beach.
And the little town is also excellent. Quaint walk streets loaded with restaurants and cool shops purveying hand made Italian goods. Looked like a choice spot for a wedding party.
The cliffs here are very dramatic. Caught a couple of good shots from the drone!
If you’re feeling like a big spender, try The Grotto [https://www.grottapalazzese.it/en/]. We passed – even after hearing a good review from the Rosen’s – cuz its 150 euro per person (not including wine), and it seemed like a lot for the four of us. But it’s a spectacular location for a super special dinner – as you can see from this shot.
We passed on The Grotto, but there are many other great options. After gorging on meat, cheese, tomato and more cheese for the past week(s), we found a great pescatarian place called Mint Cucina Fresca. [https://www.facebook.com/mintcucinafresca/]. This place was fantastic and somewhat healthy.
Our Airbnb here was totally adequate. If you are looking for two clean bedrooms and a bath – for less than $150 per night, we can recommend this place. [https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/casa-lilla-polignano-a-mare1.en-gb.html?aid=376370;label=log-7hXcdXmQIAnytr80ankEYwS267778187023%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-297601666715%3Akwd-317486742176%3Alp9058686%3Ali%3Adet%3Adm;dist=0;sb_price_type=total;type=total&] But understand that it does not come with a place to park. And parking in this town is like Hermosa Beach in summer. So be forewarned about that.
Also, there are other very good – non-rocky – beaches close by. Monopoli, about 20 minutes by car south, has excellent sandy beaches. We went to the Lido Sabbiadoro beach club [http://www.lidosabbiadoro.com/en/]. Apparently we were here just prior to the summer crush. They had about 200 lounge chairs and umbrellas and only about 15 guests. But it was clear they were getting ready for the “on” season. In any case, it was a great white sand beach with beautiful blue water.
After three nights in Polignano a Mare, we it was time to for a road trip. First stop was Alberobello. I was chastised for calling it “Albertoburrito”. Sorry. This is the town with the famous “trulli” homes. If you’ve ever done any internet research on Puglia, you’ve likely seen these cute little structures with cone shaped roofs. Yes – it’s a bit touristy – but a totally worthwhile and fun day trip. Another great place to to eat, drink and shop. I found a cool scarf – yes going totally Euro – and Shawn found some jewelry – you must be shocked to hear that.
Albertoburrito was just a stop on the way to our actual destination, Gallipoli. This is not the site of the famous and devastating World War I battle (that’s in Turkey), but instead is another great Italian beach town.
The old town in Gallipoli is on a very small island connected to the mainland via a bridge. We didn’t know that you’re not supposed to drive in the old town – or on the tiny stone walk streets – but that’s where Google Maps directed the Jeep Renegade toward Relais Corte Palmieri hotel [https://www.relaiscortepalmieri.it/old-town-hotel-gallipoli/, our home for the next four nights.
The Corte Palmieri is very charming. A blend of old architecure, relaxing balconies and terraces along with a great location. We had the Luna room which had a private terrace. The girls had a different room (can’t remember the name of that one) with a funky loft. I think both rooms together were about $300 per night (including breakfast). So a pretty good value for four travelers.
The public beach in Gallipoli is a bit “tired” looking, but there are many beach clubs near town.
Following a hotel recommendation (which also came with a complementary ride), we went to Lido Sottovento [https://www.lidosottovento.com]. A nice club with white sand and blue water, but due to a particular seasonal tide, there was a ton of vegetation floating in the water which made it a bit unpleasant to get in the sea. This was not the case at the clubs about 300 yards on either side of Lido, but we just got a bit unlucky on that one.
In any case, we received a tout from a Scottish woman that had a house in Tuscany. She told us to take a 45 minute drive north to Porto Ceasareo. Taking her advice we found a club called Bahia del Sol [http://bahiaportocesareo.com]. Excellent lounge chairs, umbrellas, food, drinks along with great sand and pretty warm water. Great way to spend a day. Again, we were here in late May so the beach was relatively uncrowded. I suspect that if you come here in July it will be totally packed!
As you might recall, we love a day on a boat. We were fortunate to hook up with Francesco at ZaBoat [http://zaboat.it/coming-soon.html] who took us on a half day cruise around the Gallipoli coastline. Great way to spend a super hot and humid day!
And yes, we did go to some cool restaurants. The finest was the Palazzo del Corso at the sister hotel of the Corte Palmieri. We went at sunset and the view was absolutely spectacular.
Sadly, the food did not live up to the view. It was good, but for the price – which was relatively high – we expected better. Nonetheless, we had a great time!
On our last night were getting ready to get some food and we heard what sounded like a marching band in the alley next to our terrace. Shawn exclaimed – “ you just missed it, we have to get down to the street”! So we raced down to the street and found the procession of a marching band, about 200 people and various clergy. Very cool.
Unfortunately, our time in Puglia was coming to an end and we made the two and a half hour drive to departing planes and trains in Bari. Sadly, we were all heading in different directions. Nikki to see her boyfriend Ben in Paris. Nicole, home to LA. And Shawn and I to Chianti. OK, not so sad 😉!