Polignano a Mare and Monopoli

Seventy meters above the sea, the sharp lookout of Largo Ardito surveys Polignano a Mare’s cala Porto, once a coastal watchpoint, now a balcony over the Adriatic. Between plaques to Domenico Modugno and the wave-carved Grotta Palazzese—known since Roman times—you read the geology in the cliff’s karst layers and the town’s whitewashed grid. Then it’s Monopoli: a 1693 Baroque cathedral with warm marbles, Aragonese walls, and a small Venetian-style harbor where seiche crudo still trades at dawn. All this sits 33 km from Bari along the SS16, the sea on your right.

Collected from your Bari hotel, your dedicated chauffeur in a Mercedes handles timing and parking while you explore at your pace. It’s a 35-minute run to Polignano for terrace views, a gelato at Il Super Mago del Gelo (est. 1935), and, if conditions are kind, a stroll down to Lama Monachile. Then on to Monopoli’s old quarter: Santa Maria Amalfitana’s semi-rupestrian church, fort walls, and a crudo lunch by the mole—pre-booked on request. The car stays at your disposal, flexible for detours and spur-of-the-moment stops.