Boat tour of the Polignano a Mare caves with aperitif
Description
Choose the Boat Tour of the Caves of Polignano a Mare and be enchanted by the cliffs overlooking the sea and the crystal clear waters! During the excursion you will visit all the caves of Polignano, including the famous Grotta Palazzese and Grotta delle Rondinelle, along the coast to Cala Port’alga and Grotta degli Innamorati, passing through the Scoglio dell’Eremita. The tour includes an aperitif on board based on taralli and prosecco and offers the opportunity to stop for a dip in the bluest waters of the Polygnane coast. The departure is from the Port of San Vito, just 10 minutes by car from the center of Polignano; an optional transfer service is also available. With Pugliamare, the experience becomes a perfect combination of sea, relaxation and taste, for an unforgettable day between nature and Apulian flavors.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The small port of San Vito is used as a dock for local fishermen's boats. From the sea you can see the Abbey of the same name overlooking the marina, dating back to the eighteenth century and currently a private residence. On the left we can see the control tower and the fishponds, built to store live fish during the winter months.
The first recess we find along the coast is a cove, not a cave: Cala Paura. In reality, its original name is Cala Paguro. It is thought that, from the pronunciation of the dialect term "Pagour" (hermit crab), it came to be called Cala Paura due to assonance. In this cove there is the famous writing "Torno Subito" with wrought iron letters set in the rock. It seems that they are the work of an Iranian sculptor visiting Polignano but it is not known who the artist was referring to. Maybe right in our country.
Immediately after Cala Paura we find Grottone. Think that in the early 1900s inside the cave there was a cinema, accessed through the small door to the sea.
The blue cave is located below the Santo Stefano Bastion. It is called this because of the play of light that occurs between the sea water, the sun and the rocks, which gives the cave its blue colour.
Lama Monachile is the postcard of Polignano. It is the most photographed beach, the first stop that visitors reach once they arrive in town. In the 15th century it was the commercial port of Polignano. Looking at Lama Monachile from the sea, on the left you can observe the cliff of the Bastione di Santo Stefano. On the right, however, the rocks welcome large steps at the top of which there is the bronze statue dedicated to Domenico Modugno. There is a small cave accessible from the blade, whose exit can be seen from the sea: La Grotta della Piana. It's a kind of rock tunnel.
Looking to the right, at the top of the stairs on the rocks is the bronze statue dedicated to the singer Domenico Modugno, born in Polignano a Mare famous for the piece “Volare - Nel blu dipinto di Blu”.
The Palazzese Cave is the best known, also thanks to the restaurant of the same name. In the 1920s this cave housed a magnificent bathing establishment, one of the first in Italy. In the cave there are two caverns, a smaller one and a larger one, and the smaller one also houses a small pebble beach.
There are many legends about the islet: it is said that a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land lived there, who decided to move to the Rock. Certainly we know that in 1612 the fishermen had us built on a chapel dedicated to St.Antonio Abate, In 1837 there was a cholera epidemic and the church became a lazaret. It was then destroyed. In 1901, a group of missionaries fixed in the rock the iron cross that we can still see today on the Rock.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for travelers suffering from seasickness
- For any need, guests can contact the main number for WhatsApp calls or messages. For urgent WhatsApp calls, please contact.
Reviews(621)
Very good experience with this organization! Arriving in san vito port and Domenico addressed, we had no appointment or reservation and just got off on good luck hoping we could still join a boat. The brothers were very flexible and a time was immediately fixed! We had the last tour and fortunately the boat to ourselves. Alessandro was a very good guide, spoke good English and could answer all our questions and meet expectations! For us a real highlight and definitely recommended
To visit Polignare a Mare without seeing it from the sea would be a big mistake. Have done the boat trip before but it is always spectacular.
Discovery of the caves! Complete service Magnificent 😍
Our boat tour was perfect! From the very detailed information regarding parking to the wonderful skipper-Andrea!
A very bad experience! I really do not recommend this place. The boat drivers pay no attention to the passengers; five out of the eight of us were feeling sick, with our heads hanging over the side of the boat, on the verge of vomiting, and the driver wouldn’t slow down despite our constant pleas. To quote the driver’s exact words: ‘No, I won’t slow down – I’ve got a business to run…’ I can’t understand how this activity has so many positive reviews given all the mishaps we experienced; we were only given a measly splash of Prosecco (1 centimetre) and a dry biscuit… Only two caves were worth seeing; the rest were a waste of time and uninteresting. This is an honest review with no exaggeration; I just want to warn you, future tourists, not to get ripped off by this company!
Christian was very cheerful and funny with the passengers. Quick tour to see the essentials of the coasts, 10 minutes of swimming with prosecco and snack biscuits. Very good for the price.
Good valued short tour to see coastline along Polignano a Mare. Tour was 1.5 hours. We arrived early and ristorante nearby to have lunch before the tour. Our skipper Andrea was kind and informative. Great boating skills negotiating small sea caves. Bonus to stop for swim at end plus enjoy glass of Prosecco.
The pick up spot was easy to find. The boat tour was fun and the views were stunnning. The captain went in and out of small caves with ease. And I also enjoyed being able to swim for a few minutes!
A very nice stroll along the caves of Pilignano a Mare. We entered three caves. Everything unfolded as indicated on the website. The captain was very kind, stopping during the journey for a swim in the open sea... we were delighted.
You must do a cave tour when visiting Polignano! The boat was spacious and we were lucky to only have six guests on our tour. We departed right on time, visited several caves for about an hour and then had free time to swim and enjoy a glass of Prosecco. The captain was friendly and knowledgeable and squeezed our boat into some of the smaller caves for a closer look. Well worth the money!
