Puglia - Polignano a Mare & Matera

To view this gallery, please click here.

Arriving in Bari I was immediately transfixed. This is where Southern Italy's sun-drenched heel, where ancient history meets dramatic coastline. Puglia mesmerises travellers with its whitewashed hill towns, endless olive groves, and slow-paced Mediterranean charm.

Nowhere captures this magic quite like Polignano a Mare, a coastal jewel perched atop sheer limestone cliffs carved by the turquoise Adriatic Sea, where daredevil cliff divers plunge past sea caves into shimmering waters. Just across the border in neighbouring Basilicata, the ancient stone city of Matera offers a hauntingly beautiful contrast—a UNESCO World Heritage site carved directly into rock ravines, whose ancient cave dwellings (Sassi) tell a story spanning thousands of years. Together, they create an unforgettable itinerary blending seaside drama with timeless history.