Polignano a Mare: Coastal Boat Tour with Aperitif & Swim

5.00

(228 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We almost missed the boat—literally. My sandal strap snapped on those uneven stones near the marina, and I had to hobble-walk the last bit. Our guide, Marco, just grinned and waved us over like he’d seen it all before. The boat wasn’t fancy but felt solid, and there was this faint smell of salt and sunscreen mixed together that somehow made me relax. We set off along the Polignano a Mare coast, engine humming low, sunlight flickering through little sprays of water.

I didn’t expect how close we’d get to the caves—some so narrow I thought we’d scrape the sides. Marco pointed out arches and told stories about smugglers (he winked; who knows if they’re true). The Peter and Paul Cave looked almost fake, like something from a painting. A couple of locals waved from another boat and shouted something in dialect—Marco laughed but didn’t translate. I still wonder what they said.

At one point he handed out tarallini—those crunchy Apulian snacks—and poured prosecco into little plastic cups. It tasted colder than I expected, maybe because my hands were still wet from dipping them in the sea. There was this moment when everyone went quiet except for the sound of water slapping against the hull and someone’s ringtone playing “Volare” (not even kidding). Swimming off the back of the boat felt unreal—the water was clearer than any pool I’ve been in, cool but not freezing. I lost track of time floating there, sun on my face.

We took photos but honestly none of them really catch how blue everything looked or how good that first bite of tarallini tasted after swimming. On the way back, Marco let us steer for a minute (I zigzagged badly; he pretended not to notice). Even now, sometimes when I hear seagulls or taste salty air somewhere else, I think about that afternoon off Polignano a Mare—how easy it felt to just drift for a while.