Today we did something we’ve all wanted to do since planning this trip: cliff diving in Polignano a Mare. Polignano a Mare is known as “the pearl of the Adriatic” and it is indeed a gem. A 40 minute drive from Alberobello brought us to the beach town packed with people. We went to the popular spot that Paul had researched before the trip. It was called Spiaggia Cala Porta Lama Molachile, and it didn’t disappoint.

There are two options for getting into the water. Option 1: walk down the pebbly beach, navigate the slippery rocks at the shore and try to keep your balance as the waves crash in. Option 2: walk through a small cave with shallow water and then jump into the sea.

Once in the water, there are waves crashing against the rocks and the water is clear and deep – occasionally you can see fish swimming by. We saw a crab and several sea urchins.

The main attraction is cliff jumping, and there are people doing it at all different heights. Red Bull hosted the international cliff diving competition here last year and there were some professionals jumping at amazing heights.

(Zoom in. Yes, that’s Big D flying through the air.)

For lunch, Paul waited over an hour to get takeaway fish from the popular La Pescaria: fried octopus sandwich, homemade chips, fried vegetables, and I had a grilled swordfish burger with parsley, tomato, fresh mozzarella, cappicola, basil pesto, chopped pistachios, lemon oil…it was delicious. The kids had pizza leftovers, some snacks we brought from Alberobello, and they split a ham, tomato and cheese sandwich we bought near the beach. Neither kid wanted the focaccia with green olives and roasted tomatoes.

We hung out at the beach almost into the evening, as Big D didn’t want to stop jumping. (Tried including a video below.)

We changed clothes and walked around the old town, enjoying some gelato. We also saw the statue of Polignano’s most famous son, Domenico Modugno. You may not know his name, but you know the song he composed, “Volare”.

We settled in for dinner at Casa Mia in one of the main piazzas. Miss M and I had salads, Big D with a Margherita pizza and Paul with stuffed pasta with cheese and tomatoes.