Monopoli to Polignano a Mare: Sea Caves Boat Tour & Swim

4.66

(131 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the slap of salt air as we left Monopoli’s old port—seagulls circling above, someone’s radio playing faintly from a fishing boat nearby. Our skipper, Paolo, waved at another boat and pointed out the Castle of Charles V as we drifted past it. I’d seen it from land before but from the water it felt different—less like a postcard and more like something alive. The stone looked almost golden in the late morning light.

We hugged the coast between Monopoli and Polignano a Mare, passing jagged cliffs and little terraces where people leaned over railings waving down at us. Paolo told us stories about the caves—how smugglers used to hide there—and then slowed so we could see Grotta Palazzese. I’d heard about that restaurant inside the cave but seeing it from below, with waves echoing against the rock, was something else. He grinned when I tried to say “Polignano” properly—definitely didn’t nail it.

The swimming stop was just off one of those wild coves. The water was cold at first (I hesitated longer than I’ll admit), but once you’re in you forget everything else. There was this moment floating on my back where all I could hear was my own breathing and Paolo laughing with another guest over some story about cliff divers. Afterward he handed out little plates of taralli and olives—simple stuff but perfect when you’re salty and hungry from swimming.

On our way back we passed that statue of Domenico Modugno—the “Volare” guy—and everyone hummed a bit of the song without meaning to. It’s funny how a place can surprise you even when you think you know what to expect. I still think about that feeling of sun-warmed wood under my hands as we pulled into Monopoli again.