Polignano a Mare sits on the cliffs of the Bari coast, a town of 17,271 people whose old town looks out over the Adriatic. The cove under those walls is Lama Monachile. The coastal railway stops here, five minutes from Monopoli, so many visitors see the two towns on the same trip.
Updated November 2026 · Puglia Everyday research
This guide covers the practical side of a first visit: how to arrive, how the old town differs from Lama Monachile, which beaches carry the 2026 Blue Flag, and what to know before you drive in. We do not review restaurants. Train fares were last checked on 23 October 2026.
Key finding: Puglia Everyday research (November 2026): Polignano a Mare has 17,271 residents (ISTAT, 1 January 2026). A regional train from Monopoli takes 5 minutes and costs €1.30 (Trenitalia, 23 October 2026). Lama Monachile sits under the old town and is not one of the five 2026 Blue Flag beaches. A pedestrian area covers the historic center day and night, all year.
How to arrive
The nearest airport is Bari, about 51 km away, or about 46 minutes by car without traffic (our calculation from OpenStreetMap routing, 12 November 2026). Without a car, the usual route is into Bari Centrale, then a regional train south on the Bari-Lecce line to Polignano a Mare.
We last checked Trenitalia on 23 October 2026 for a weekday trip from Monopoli, the next town along the coast. A standard regional ticket cost €1.30 and the journey took 5 minutes. We have not re-checked the fare from Bari Centrale for this article, so we do not state one here; check the Trenitalia app before you travel. Validate paper tickets before boarding.
The station is on Via Guglielmo Marconi, an easy walk of about 1 km south of the old town and Lama Monachile (OpenStreetMap walking route). Monopoli is 14 minutes by car without traffic, or that 5-minute train. Our guide to Monopoli as a base covers trains, parking and costs in the larger town next door.
The old town and Lama Monachile
The old town stands on the cliff. Lama Monachile is the cove immediately below it, reached on foot from the historic center. They sit next to each other, but they are not the same stop: one is a compact pedestrian quarter, the other is a small beach between the rocks.
The Comune established a permanent urban pedestrian area (area pedonale urbana) in the historic center, from Arco Marchesale to Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie, including the stretch of Via Tritone to Via Narciso (Delibera di Giunta Comunale n. 45 of 7 March 2017, later modified by Delibera n. 56 of 10 April 2018, and regulated by Ordinanza n. 207 of 2018). It is car-free day and night, all year. Motor vehicles are generally not allowed, with listed exceptions such as emergency vehicles, bicycles, and some loading or disabled access under local rules. The Comune also publishes a service for permits to enter a limited-traffic area (ZTL). Do not drive into the historic center without checking the current rules and signs.
Lama Monachile is the cove under the old town, and the one most often photographed. It is not on FEE’s 2026 Blue Flag list. The five flagged beaches in the Comune are Cala Paura, San Vito, Cala San Giovanni, Ripagnola / Coco Village and Cala Fetente. Those lie along the coast, not in the cove under the walls. We do not have an official count of visitors at Lama Monachile by hour, so we do not invent a quiet time of day.
Beaches
For the official 2026 Blue Flag list across Puglia, see our regional Blue Flag guide. If you want a flagged beach in Polignano, use the five names FEE published for 2026, listed above. If you want the cove under the old town, that is Lama Monachile, and it is a separate place.
The tourist tax
The last municipal tariff table we found is attached to Delibera di Giunta Comunale n. 44 of 13 April 2023, and is published through the Comune’s PayTourist portal. It sets the imposta di soggiorno at €3 per person per night in five-star hotels and historic residences, €2 in most other hotels, B&Bs and short-term rentals, and €1 in one-star hotels, agriturismi and campsites, for a maximum of seven consecutive nights in the Comune. We did not find a later table on the Comune site changing those rates for 2026. Confirm the amount with your host.
Polignano or Monopoli as a base?
They are five minutes apart by train, so you can see both from either. Monopoli is the larger town, with more year-round services and its own Blue Flag beaches to the south. Polignano is smaller and centered on its cliffs and old town. Our Monopoli guide sets out the practical trade-offs in more detail. For days inland, see our Valle d’Itria guide. Further south, Lecce is the city base for Salento.
Tap water is covered in our regional drinking-water guide, which includes the Bari coast. Seasonal lights and markets are covered in our Christmas markets guide.
FAQ
How long is the train from Monopoli to Polignano a Mare?
5 minutes, for €1.30, on a regional train (Trenitalia, weekday fares checked 23 October 2026).
Can I drive into the old town?
Generally no. A pedestrian area covers the historic center day and night, all year. Check current signs and, if you need access, the Comune’s ZTL permit service.
Does Lama Monachile have a Blue Flag in 2026?
No. FEE’s 2026 list for Polignano a Mare names five other beaches: Cala Paura, San Vito, Cala San Giovanni, Ripagnola / Coco Village and Cala Fetente.
How much is the tourist tax in Polignano a Mare?
The last published municipal table (Delibera n. 44 of 13 April 2023) is €1, €2 or €3 per person per night, depending on the type of stay, for up to seven consecutive nights. We did not find a 2026 revision on the Comune site.
Sources
- Population: ISTAT via Tuttitalia and SapereComune, 17,271 residents on 1 January 2026. Tuttitalia notes that the figure is provisional until the December census release.
- Tourism volumes: Pugliapromozione / Osservatorio del Turismo, Report BIT 2026 (Istat/SPOT data processed by Questlab): 201,878 arrivals and 530,481 overnight stays in 2025. The report states that 2025 figures are partial and provisional as of 29 January 2026, corresponding to 92% of the sample.
- Trenitalia: regional fare and journey time from Monopoli to Polignano a Mare, searched on trenitalia.com on 23 October 2026 for a weekday trip, as recorded in our Monopoli base guide.
- Driving distances and times: OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) on 12 November 2026, without traffic: Bari airport about 50.9 km and 46 minutes; Monopoli about 12 km and 14 minutes (matching our October 2026 Monopoli calculation).
- Station location and the walk of about 1 km to the old town and Lama Monachile: OpenStreetMap, 12 November 2026.
- FEE Italia, Bandiera Blu 2026 list: Cala Paura, San Vito, Cala San Giovanni, Ripagnola / Coco Village, Cala Fetente. Lama Monachile is not on that list.
- Comune di Polignano a Mare: Delibera di Giunta Comunale n. 45 of 7 March 2017 and n. 56 of 10 April 2018, and Ordinanza n. 207 of 2018, on the historic-center pedestrian area; the municipal page for ZTL access permits; Delibera di Giunta Comunale n. 44 of 13 April 2023, tourist-tax tariff table, published via the Comune’s PayTourist portal.
- Map data: OpenStreetMap.
Fares were checked on 23 October 2026. Timetables change twice a year, so check the Trenitalia app before you travel.
