Polignano with kids: all you need to know to enjoy stunning Polignano a Mare as a family

Family guide to Polignano with kids: why visit, best beaches in Polignano for families, best family accommodation, kid-friendly things to see and do.

Polignano a Mare, or simply Polignano, is one of the most beautiful towns in Puglia and one of the most famous.

Perched on top of white cliffs plunging into crystal clear waters, Polignano rose to fame thanks to social media and its picture perfect skyline is now the protagonist of many of the most iconic photos of Puglia, and with good reason!

The whitewashes houses of Polignano clinging onto rugged cliffs on Mediterranean blue water make for a very special view.

But what about visiting Polignano with kids? Is it possible to see the beautiful view of Polignano with children in tow? Should you stay a few hours or a few days, is there much to do in Polignano with kids?

On this page, I give you all the answers to these questions and more!

I have visited Polignano with my two kids and are now ready to tell you all about it: what we liked, what we didn’t, special finds and our travel tips for visiting.

I hope you find this guide useful and helps you plan you trip to Puglia with kids!

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase, we might make a small commission.

Why visit Polignano with kids

The main reason to visit Polignano, with or without children, is the incredible geographical position of the town and the stunning views of its skyline you get from the town’s main viewpoints so, I recommend a visit to anyone who wants to see in person that very famous view.

Polignano also has a pleasant town center, with many restaurants and shops and a good pedestrian area.

In terms of surrounding area, Polignano is close to many beautiful beaches, so it is also a great base to explore the area, especially if you have a car.

Why not visit Polignano with kids

Polignano may not be for you if:

You are looking for a local, off the beaten path location (in summer especially, Polignano is exceptionally crowded)

You are looking for a town with large sandy beaches on your doorstep (beaches are near, but you’ll need a car)

You are visiting Puglia off season: Polignano is a coastal town with a strong tourism vocation so if you come here outside of the summer, you’ll find the tourism offering limited.

Good to know: if you’re worried about crowds, I recommend you read here our tips for avoiding / minimizing exposure to crowds in Italy.

Personally, our feeling about Polignano was that the town is adorable and worth seeing.

However, even during our last off-season trip, we found the town suffers from its notoriety and we couldn’t help but feeling nostalgic about pre-social media times, when people would come here with not expectations and wowed at the views, instead of coming here posing to get the exact same photo as everyone else.

The best things to do in Polignano with kids

The best things to do in Polignano rotate around enjoying the pretty town center and exploring the surrounding area of Val d’Itria.

See Polignano’s iconic view

The main reason people come to Polignano is the view and you’ll be happy to hear it is easy to see it even with kids in tow!

There are several viewpoints in the town and you will come across them even without a map but some addresses can be useful:

• Main observation deck: Lungomare Domenico Modugno, 70044 Polignano. Map: https://g.co/kgs/kpGGnMW This is a spectacular view point and photo spot and an easy one to enjoy with kids as there is a large flat area easy to negotiate with strollers and good for kids to move about safely.

• Belvedere Lama Monachile, Via Porto 30/A70044 Polignano a Mare Map: https://g.co/kgs/eUVCqnw

• Belvedere di Grotta Palazzese, Via Gelsomino 82, 70044 Polignano a Mare

• Terrazza Santo Stefano, Via Porto 11, 70044 Polignano a Mare Map: https://g.co/kgs/eUVCqnw

• Lungomare di Polignano photo spot. Map: https://g.co/kgs/TZssRXf

All these spots are basically in the town center and easy to reach on foot also from the station.

The statue to Domenico Modugno

Domenico Modugno is one of the most famous modern Italian artists, a singer best known for his song Nel blu dipinto di blu (listen to it here, you most likely know it!) and he is from Polignano, so the city celebrated him with a wonderful statue which is now of the main landmarks in the town.

Kids may not know Domenico Modugno but the statue is worth seeing with them nonetheless as it is located at the center of a large flat piazza with excellent views.

An easy way to get acquainted with Polignano’a most famous son in a kid-friendly way.

Take a stroll in Polignano’s pretty whitewashed center

Polignano has an adorable town center, with whitewashed houses, flowery balconies, pretty doorways and shops.

Most of the town center is closed to cars, so we found it a pleasant place to spend a morning.

Play at the playground

Polignano has a small but suitable playground, Villa Pinocchio, with small climbing frames and a slide for little kids. Address: Via Papa Giovanni XXIII 23, Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ro6JAFZyJ4b53oRU6

Good to know! The playground is close to the station, on the way to the town center. It therefore makes a good quick stop on your way in or out, if visiting Polignano by train.

Take an ape tour (tuk-tuk tour)

Polignano is in a stellar geographical position and one of the best ways to admire the coast and get stunning views away from the crowds is to take a tuk tuk tour.

Thje tours are a little expensive for their lenght but they are great with kids as they allow to cover a lot of grounds without having to walk and they use a really fun vehicle, an Ape Calessino car, which is usually in itself an attraction for little ones!

Take a boat tour and see Polignano from the water (summer)

In the good season, boat tours allow to see Polignano from the water, a fabulous way to admire Polignano’s cliffs and caves and swim in the sea. This one is well priced and has discounts for kids

And this one

Enjoy (or not!) Cala Porto / Lama Monachile, Polignano’s beach

Polignano town has a small beach, located at the bottom of the cliffs and embraced by them. The beach is in the town itself and it is scenic so it may sound like an ideal place to visit with kids but the truth is a little more nuanced than than this.

The beach is indeed pretty to see but it is a little tricky especially with small kids on a few accounts.

Due to its location at the bottom of the cliffs, access is via steps / rather steep incline, which makes it hard with strollers, toddlers or anyone with mobility issues.

The beach is made of small pebbles (bring water shoes) and the water gets deep quite quickly.

Most of all, due to its popularity and location in the towns, this beach gets packed in summer, so much so that you may literally find yourself with no place to stand, let alone lay down a towel!

On this account, while I recommend you come down here if visiting on a quiet day, but make alternative beach plans if coming with littles or in the busy season.

Best family beaches near Polignano

While Polignano itself doesn’t have the best beach for kids, there are many beaches in the area that are fabulous for kids and that you can easily reach by car, mostly in the area of nearby Monopoli / Capitolo, which has several sandy beaches, both free and equipped with lidos and is aout 20 mins by car from Polignano.

Family friendly lidos in the area are:

Lido Torre Egnazia http://torregnazia.it/prenotazione-lido/ about 20 mins by car from Polignano

Lido Marina Grande https://marinagrandebeach.it/en/ about 20 mins by car from Polignano

Kids’ attractions in Polignano area + family friendly day trips

The area of Polignano has several kid friendly attractions and lovely towns that are perfect for day trips.

Grotte di Castellana – Grotte di Castellana are an impressive, beautiful cave system in Castellana, near Monopoli, that you can easily visit with kids.

Online booking of tickets is mandatory: the tours start at specific times and are available in Italian and English. They’re rather special and likely to get a wow from the kids!

Indiana Park Adventure park – Close to the cave of Castellana you have one of the best kids’ attractions in the area: Indiana Park.

This adventure park offer treetop paths suitable for kids of all ages, including ‘baby tree trails’ for children and young as two. Website >>> https://castellana.indianapark.it/

Fasano Zoo and Park – Fasano Zoo and Amusement park is the second largest wildlife park in Europe and one of the best attractions in Puglia for kids. Here, kids can see animals, learn about conservation but also have fun on the rides and amusement park games of Fasano Land. The official web address for the safari park and FasanoLand amusement park >>> https://zoosafari.it/

Aqua Park Egnazia – Acqua Park Egnazia, the biggest water park in the South of Italy and has all you expect from a water amusement park: pools, slides, water playground etc. Find the official website here >>> https://www.aquaparkegnazia.it/

Pretty towns I recommend you visit from Polignano are:

Monopoli – my favorite! An adorable town with whitewashed alleys, delightful small port and family friendly atmpshere (it’s my favorite place to stay!)

Alberobello – famous for its incredible trulli, worth seeing despite the rather heavy crowds it gets

Ostuni – a super famous destination, pleasant for a stroll and afternoon snack

Where to stay in Polignano with kids

Good places to stay in Polignano town center are:

A Sud Holiday House: a lovely and well equipped apartments right in the old town, with room for up to 5 guests (double bed, sofa bed, baby crib available on request). The accommodation has self catering facilities and children high chair.

VL Luxury Apartment by Housea Travel, nicely renovated, good size 2 bedroom apartment able to accommodate up to 6 guests (2 large double beds, one sofa bed) in a convenient location close to the town center. The apartment has a kitchen, free wifi and washing machine.

If you are looking for more rural places or resorts, I recommend you check out our shortlist of favorite palces to stay in Puglia with kids.

Where to eat in Polignano with kids

Eating out in Polignano is easy as places abound and the quality is high. Some addresses we particularly enjoyed are:

Le Focacce Ingnoranti – small, excellent take out place for focaccia. Via Roma 48, 70044 Polignano. Map: https://g.co/kgs/62QhGsp

Olio su Pane – for excellent sandwiches, Via Roma 60, 70044 Polignano, Map: https://g.co/kgs/xHmvVhj

Cucina di Ventura – informal, welcoming restaurant with lovely local food and a slight retro vibe, Via Martiri di Dogali 69, 70044 Polignano. Map: https://g.co/kgs/QXEpZmo

How to get to Polignano with kids and how to get around the area

You can reach Polignano by train or car. The closes airport is Bari.

The town of Polignano is small and easy to explore on foot, while the surrounding area is best reached by car, especially if you’re hoping to visit beaches or the children attractions out of town.

The train offers a convenient way to reach Bari, Monopoli and some other destinations along the coast and can be a good solution if you are in the area a couple of days and want to do sightseeing without driving.

You can read here my guide to visiting Puglia without a car and this one about driving in Puglia.

Polignano a mare con bambini – pin this!