Travel website Booking.com has just revealed the 10 most welcoming cities on earth. Taking the top spot is Polignano a Mare in Puglia, Italy. If you’re looking to find travel inspiration, buy a holiday home or even emigrate entirely, there isn’t a better place to start.

We take a deep dive into Polignano a Mare, to see what makes it so appealing and how property there compares with the rest of Italy.  

Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare is an ancient seaside town on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It’s known for its white-pebbled beaches, plunging cliffs and historical roots.

What makes Polignano so welcoming?

The ancient, pedestrianised city of Polignano is full of character and charm. Homes either side of the winding paths exude notes of traditional Italian home cooking and locals go about their daily lives with a spring in their steps.

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If you’re visiting the area, most holiday accommodation is in apartments and homes, available to rent, giving you a true sense of living like a local Puglian. The city celebrates a number of festivals throughout the year, which make an excellent time to visit as it’s when locals come together to celebrate their culture, food and music.

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Beaches

Locals in Polignano a Mare frequent Cala Porto (Lama Monachile) beach which is flanked either side by two limestone cliffs that shield beachgoers from harsh winds. The waters are beautiful and crystal clear. There you can enjoy cliff diving, paddle boarding, swimming and sunbathing – but remember if you want to catch the sun, go before midday, otherwise the cliffs block the sun.

Old town

Polignano a Mare’s old town is known as centro storico, where cobblestone streets wind and bend as far as the eye can see. These winding streets often lead to grand piazzas where locals enjoy coffees and drinks at local establishments. There are also great views of the sparkling sea from here.

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Ice cream

Polignano a Mare is renowned for its ice cream. There are countless Italian gelato shops in Polignano a Mare which create artisan ice cream. You can even take a course in ice cream making if you fancy trying your hand at it.

One shop in particular, Sugar, gets a lot of praise and makes fresh ice cream every morning for locals and tourists alike.

Each ice cream maker offers a broad selection of flavours. After all, Puglia is known for its fiorone (the Apulian fig) as well as fresh berries, cherries and peaches. However, they do sell more popular flavours like pistachio, vanilla, chocolate and hazelnut for traditionalists.

Delicious cuisine

Due to Polignano a Mare’s coastal location, it has some truly exquisite restaurants that specialise in seafoods – often caught that very same day. Despite its small size, the town has made a name for itself when it comes to excellent cuisine. In fact, Polignano a Mare is home to not one, not two, but five Michelin star restaurants! They range from contemporary foods to modern cuisine and seafood specialists. Browse the five restaurants on the Michelin guide. 

Traditional Adriatic foods include raw seafoods, fish sandwiches, rice potatoes and mussels (or la Tiella Barese) and eggplant parmigiana.

The small town of Polignano a Mare also has its own speciality coffee. Polignano baristas add sugar, lemon zest, cream and amaretto to coffee shots, and serve it in small glasses. It certainly makes for an interesting taste – one to try if you’re in the area.

 

Property in Polignano a Mare

There are a number of traditional Italian properties for sale in Polignano a Mare. You’ll even find some unusual homes in the area. The ancient city is pedestrianised, so if you have a big car, you’d be better off looking for a home just outside the city. However, there are some beautiful apartments and stone townhouses with notable architecture and a true village feel.

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According to Immobilier.it, the average price rent price/m2 in Puglia is €8.15 and sale price is €1,322 per m2. In Polignano a Mare, it’s considerably more with rents reaching an average of €13.25/m2 and sale prices costing €2,487/m2. In recent years, property in the welcoming city has shot up, gaining 6.6% since February 2022.

However, it still remains a popular place. It just depends whether you’re wiling to pay the price that comes with living in such a welcoming, charming city on the Adriatic coast.

 

Areas nearby Polignano a Mare

Monopoli –  a small town on the Adriatic Sea, just 5km north of Polignano a Mare. It is renowned for its 16th-century castle of Carlo V and the frescoed Palace.

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Conversano – another ancient town in the Metropolitan city of Bari. Conversano is 30km inland of the coast and is renowned for its “old world” appeal.

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Castellana Grotte – is a medieval town which is most famous for the Castellana Caves which lie just 1.5km outside the town. It’s a beautiful area with historic roots and an old town centre.

Take a look at properties for sale in Castellana Grotte

 

Written by PropertyGuides for Rightmove

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