Monopoli Italy
56
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Atlas Ocean Voyages (2 Cruises)
Emerald Waterways (5 Cruises)
Silversea Cruises (8 Cruises)
Star Clippers (16 Cruises)
Royal Clipper
14 Cruises
Windstar Cruises (22 Cruises)
Wind Spirit
22 Cruises
Frequently Asked Questions
At the Porto Vecchio, a basin ringed by golden walls where blue fishing boats rock. The old town begins on the quays themselves: no shuttle, no journey, the call is lived entirely on foot.
More than twenty churches packed into a small area, whitewashed alleys, open courtyards and sudden glimpses of the Adriatic. Behind the quays, a narrow passage nicknamed the window on the sea frames the blue of the open water between two stone walls.
In 1117, according to local tradition, a makeshift raft ran aground in the cove carrying an icon of the Virgin. The raft's beams were used to finish the cathedral's roof frame, dedicated ever since to the Madonna della Madia. The present building, rebuilt in the eighteenth century, raises its bell tower above the roofs.
Everything is walkable and needs no map: the Porto Vecchio, the white alleys, the cathedral, piazza Garibaldi, then the rampart walk to the castle of Charles V. A swim at Cala Porta Vecchia rounds out the day.
A pentagonal sixteenth-century bastion at the end of the ramparts, raised under Charles V to guard the anchorage entrance. It now hosts exhibitions.
Yes. The small Cala Porta Vecchia beach, below the walls, draws neighbourhood swimmers and families from early morning. The coves of the northern shore alternate flat rocks and clear inlets, reachable on foot from the ramparts.
To the south, the Capitolo area lines up long sandy beaches, about ten minutes by taxi.
Polignano a Mare, perched on its cliffs, is less than ten kilometres away: the easiest combination. The trulli of Alberobello require about thirty minutes by road, best kept for long calls.
Orecchiette with cime di rapa, grilled octopus and durum wheat bread in the trattorias of the centre. In season, sea urchins are eaten raw facing the boats, with a glass of local white. Artisan gelaterias and focaccerias let you eat on the move without leaving the alleys.
The euro and Italian, with a lively Puglian dialect. English is spoken in town-centre businesses. Keep cash for focaccerias, ice cream shops and taxis to Capitolo or Polignano.
