From rocky calls to fine sandy coves, keep reading to discover the best beaches in Monopoli!

On the beautiful stretch of east Puglia coast between Bari and Brindisi, the little town of Monopoli is our favourite base for making the most of it.

Its stunning historic harbour is big factor in this - the perfect place to sit with a panzerotte watching boats painted red and blue bobbing away in the water - but its pretty backstreets, good restaurants, and range of affordable accommodations also help.

However, it's Monopoli's proximity to several of the best beaches in Puglia, as well as easy access to a cluster of small coves and swimming spots in the town itself, that elevates it as an excellent choice as a base for a few nights on the Adriatic Sea, or even a standalone holiday destination if you're not doing a Puglia road trip.

With nearby Polignano a Mare on the verge of becoming too busy to enjoy at times, Monopoli is the place we've recommended to many readers over the years and our return to it last summer only reinforced that opinion.

You can read our Monopoli travel guide for more travel tips, inspiration, and accommodation recommendations, but in this short post we wanted to share all of our favourite Monopoli beaches, calas (coves), and swimming spots.

A few are in and around the town, so accessible on foot or by bicycle, whilst the others are best visited by car or scooter (you can rent one for the day here). Our favourites are to the south, whilst there are a couple excellent options to the north, including one of the most famous in Italy.

Importantly, we've been realistic about our parameters and curated this down to our very favourites no less than 45-minutes drive away, rather than just dumping each and every beach in the region. We've travelled in this part of Italy three times, and several of our Monopoli beach picks are amongst are favourite beaches in Puglia! However, if you'd like to know more of our absolute favourite, then make sure to read Our 16 Favourites Beaches in Puglia later.

As we explain in that post, and over in 17 Things To Know Before You Visit Puglia, it's very important for first-timers to know that Italians have a wonderful ability to christen any sliver of sand, rock, or pebble by the sea a 'spiaggia' (beach), which is why simply following what you see on Google Maps isn't a good idea. Also, many of the best beaches in southern Italy are not the traditional long stretch of golden sand many Brits and Europeans prefer; it took us one trip to adjust though, and now we've gone fully native.

These are the best beaches in and around Monopoli.

the essentials

Central / There are four great beaches and *calas* accessible on foot from Monopoli
Explore / For a proper beach day, head south with a car or scooter (we rent with AutoEurope or RentalCars.com)
Plan / Northern beaches are attached to the town of Polignano a Mare, so should be paired with a visit there
Summer / All will be crowded in July and August, so arrive early for parking and a good spot
Responsible / Litter is an issue on Pugliese beaches, so do your bit by doing a mini clean-up
Stay / Hotel Don Ferrante for a splurge, Dimora Pietrabianca, or our favourite Airbnb

THE BEST Beaches in Monopoli

Cala Porta Vecchia / The Monopoli Town Beach

With the historic centre of Monopoli forming the backdrop, this is a picturesque and uniquely Italian setting for a few hours swimming and sunbathing before, after, or between your exploring.

Named after the ancient Aragonese gate that once guarded the entrance to the town, it's just a short walk from the centre and always going to be packed in summer, but this sort of adds to the atmosphere.

You can choose to lay down along the long strip of walkway and rocks beneath the old city walls and watchtower, accessible by the stairs on the left, or the narrow strip of sand to the right. For the good spot on the sand, it's best to arrive early and do be aware that the area available is affected by the tide. Further to the right, you can also go native and lay your towel down on a smooth rock.

The swimming and water here is perfect, and it's a good spot if you're travelling with children.

Access + Parking | You can find Cala Porta Vecchia here on Google Maps.

The majority of you will visit this beach on foot from your accommodation in Monopoli in as part of your wanderings, rather than parking next to it or arriving specifically for it. So, we suggest parking up at the places we recommend in our Monopoli guide or for those linked to for the next beaches.

Facilities | There’s nothing on the beach itself (there's no space) but it's backed by a couple of cafes and restaurants, so you're never too far from food or a snack. It’s a good idea to bring something to wear over your beachwear if sitting down at one of these, or doing a little sight-seeing through the old town - walking through the historical streets in beachwear lacks class and is frowned upon by Italians.

Cala Cozze

You'll find several calas (small coves) dotted along the town's shoreline, all within a few minutes walk of the town; the first you’ll reach when heading south from Cala Porta Vecchia however is Cala Cozze.

Whilst the small pebble beach means this isn’t ideal for a long day of sunbathing, the little cove has perfect clear water for snorkelling and a few rocks to lay on beneath the Lungomare Portavecchia.

Access + Parking | Find Cala Cozze here on Google Maps, but do note that this cala actually encompasses several distinct rocky areas to the left along the Lungomare and in front of the basketball court.

It's a pleasant 10-minute walk from the centre of Monopoli; just follow the coastal walkway and cycle path, via the skatepark, after passing Cala Porta Vecchia.

For road trippers, if you're lucky, you can nab one of the few free spaces available next to Parcheggio Pentima (maps). Alternatively, that car park offers paid parking for €1/hour or €8/day (just be aware that both can fill up early as it's a good option for day trippers to Monopoli).

There is also free on-street parking a short walk away.

For all car parks in Puglia, we recommend carrying small change as several machines do not take card payments. In addition, download the easypark app which offers mobile payments for an increasing number of them. Find out more tips in 14 Things To Know Before A Puglia Road Trip

Facilities | Bring everything you need with you for a beach day. Ristorante Lido Bianco is nearby, and there's a small shop and the bakery Panificio La Portavecchia across the road from the car park, whilst there's usually a food truck in summer too.

Not a good option for young kids or those with limited mobility.

Porto Bianco

If rocks ain't your thing, then Porto Bianco is probably the very best option for you within Monopoli.

A large patch of sand relative to Porta Vecchia and others, the water's crystal-clear, and it's in a nice setting. Family-friendly, close to the centre of town and all designated as a 'free beach', rather than cluttered with lidos, it's always a popular choice on a summer's weekend.

If the sandy section is too crowded, there's also plenty of preferable alternatives upon the grassy bank above or on the rocks on both sides.

Access + Parking | Find Porto Bianco here on Google Maps. It's about a 12-minute walk from the town centre, following the same route as the neighbouring Cala Cozze. You can follow the pedestrian + cycle path to access one side via the wooden walkway.

There is also usually a wooden ramp on a slope down to the sand (here on Google Maps), so it is wheelchair-accessible.

For road trippers, you're now in a part of the town where there's quite a lot of free on-street parking, so drive around to see if you can grab a space. Alternatively, go to those suggested for Cala Cozze.

Facilities | Nothing on the beach, but there's a couple of restaurants and cafes overlooking it, and others nearby. Best to bring drinks + snacks with you though.

This is a family-friendly beach.

Spiaggia di Cala Porto Rosso

Just round the shore from Porto Bianco, this is our favourite beach in Monopoli town.

The sheltered inlet has warm, shallow waters for swimming, a decent-sized area of sandy free beach, and plenty rocky areas on both sides if you'd prefer to avoid the crowds and umbrellas below.

Access + Parking | Find Cala Porto Rosso here on Google Maps.

It's a 20-minute walk along the coast from Monopoli and, as you'll pass all the other beaches we've mentioned above, you can easily circle back if Porto Rosso is too busy. If you prefer rocks or a lido, you can continue round to Porto Nero (maps), which has stairs down into the water, lots of rocks to lay on for the day, and the facilities offered by La Perla Nera restaurant + beach club.

There's free on-street parking on Via Procaccia and the streets around Porto Rosso beach, but you may have to drive around for a while to find a space.

There's a permanent walkway / ramp down to the sand, which is suitable for wheelchairs.

Facilities | As above, no lidos or cafes on the beach, and it's best to bring everything with you unless you're going to leave your pitch and head to one of the cafes and restaurants nearby.

This is a family-friendly beach.

Our Accommodation Picks in Monopoli

Dimora Pietrabianca | At £83 a night, this hotel is exceptionally good value. A stone’s throw from Pizza Garibaldi, it is clean and modern with excellent facilities.

B&B Portorosso | A short walk from the old town (and very close to Cala Porto Rosso), this is a super stylish B&B for those that appreciate modern design, with large rooms and clean lines.

Hotel Don Ferrante | Definitely not a hotel to suit every budget, but if you’re looking to splurge on a truly luxurious hotel, Don Ferrante is very highly rated, with all the facilities you’d expect from a 5* hotel.

There are also a number of beautiful Masseira close to Monopoli; two that particularly caught our eye are Masseria Torrepietra and Masseria Il Melograno.

We’ve got an entire article with our favourite Monopoli Airbnbs - so be sure to check it out before you book your stay in the city - but a couple of our favourites include:

Vico Castello | An exquisite historic house in the very heart of Monopoli with exclusive rooftop and waterfront view. This house is the perfect retreat for couples and families to enjoy Puglia in complete privacy and relaxation.

Borgo Albergo | Located in the heart of the old town, this small but perfectly formed beautiful studio apartment is full of light and tastefully decorated with a contemporary nautical design.

Cozy, Comfy and Beautifully Restored Loft | If you’re passionate about contemporary interior design, this may be the apartment for you. Successfully marrying East London loft vibes with more traditional Pugliese elements, it has a full kitchen, studio style bedroom and even free bikes.

Mamylù La Mia Casa Margherita | One of our absolute favourites in Monopoli, we just adore the decor in this beautiful apartment. It’s located in the downtown area rather than the historical district, but still within easy walking distance to all of Monopoli’s attractions (including the beach).

Monopoli Beaches | SOUTH OF THE TOWN

Most of the options south of Monopoli lie parallel to Via Procaccia, a narrow one-way coastal road. This means that theoretically you need to have an idea which one you're already going to, stop/start accordingly OR drive to the end, rejoin the highway, and go back to the start after the turning by the gymnastic school!

As we try to give you the best trip-planning advice, we personally stopped by each one on our last trip as it was clear that this was an in-demand part of the coastline. Unfortunately, several of the lidos we saw were really quite underwhelming, and we wouldn't put them over the free beaches and calas unless you really do want to have facilities, parking, convenience, and amenities for a proper beach day.

Not sure what a lido is? Read this post.

Travel Tip // To access most of these beaches, you really do need a rental car or a scooter (we rent with AutoEurope or RentalCars.com), but you do learn of any public transport connections, feel free to share them in the comments and we'll update the post!

Grotta della Cala Tre Buchi & Cala Copacabana

At the point where Via Procaccia starts to narrow, with the gates of the football pitches and the swimming pool building on the right-hand-side, you'll find what we term the first 'zone' of this section of coast; if you didn't know anything was here, you could easily drive right past.

Cala Copacabana is a hidden-away patch of free beach, whilst neighbouring Grotta della Cala Tre Buchi is even more secluded (though increasingly popular). Neither have facilities and require a little bit of clambering to get to, but are excellent choices if you want something a little bit more secret and special outside of Monopoli.

Both have plenty rocks and verges to lay on around and beside them, as well as other little grottos and calas.

Access + Parking | Find Cala Copacabana here and Grotta della Cala Tre Buchi here, a 10-minute / 4km drive from Monopoli.

However, with your car, we recommend you put this pin in your Google Maps, which will lead you to a long run of free white line parking on the right hand side. As ever, these will fill up very quickly on the weekend, and you'll see lots of locals just parking up on the roadside on the already narrow road (not necessarily permitted, we'll leave it up to you whether it's a good idea with your rental or not). There is a large car park associated with the restaurant and lidos, but we think this is only for guests rather than a paid lot.

If the white line spaces are full, just carry on a wee bit until you see a section of dusty free parking on the left!

After parking, it's not going to be terribly obvious when you arrive how to reach the coves, especially if you've arrived early. However, if you cross over from the parking spaces and walk to this point (Google Maps), you'll see a sign saying libero accesso pedonale al mare (Free pedestrian access to the sea) by a narrow gap - follow this and you'll come out with Lido Colonia on your right side. On the left there's several dusty roads (how apropos!), and you just follow those to your pick of these secret Monopoli beaches.

Due to their nature and location, these beaches are not suitable for travellers with mobility issues.

Facilties | Absolutely nothing at these beaches or nearby, except at the lidos, so bring everything you need with you.

Porto Marzano

Continuing along Via Procaccia, you’ll pass a few lidos, before taking a left turn down a narrow road, and arriving at the second 'zone' of this part of coast (it’s pretty obvious you’re here when you’re confronted with the large doughnut parking area).

There's a lido very close called Marzá, which we didn't love, but the star of the show is Porto Marzano.

A little inlet that provides would-be sunbathers and water-frolickers with the best of both worlds; a protected little crescent of sandy beach edged by wave-free shallow water, and directly opposite, a rocky outcrop that is flat enough in parts to lay down a towel that sits above deep turquoise waters perfect for snorkelling.

It's completely free and public - and we rank it as one of the best beaches in Puglia.

Access + Parking | Find Porto Marzano here on Google Maps, a 15-minute / 5km drive from Monopoli.

The large paid-for circular carpark (maps) sits just behind the beach costing €5 for the entire day, but if you’re early or patient enough you can instead try your luck with one of the free parking spots that trace the circumference of the lot (gets filled up quickly though). Marzá has a large parking area, but we believe it’s just for those using the lido.

From there, it's short walk to the two sections of beach, just don’t walk across the rocky part with bare feet - it’s very sharp!

Note that you need to to turn left when departing and rejoining the one-way Via Procaccia.

Facilities | There’s a very small cafe here but we’d recommend bringing everything you need, alongside a parasol to protect yourselves from the harsh summer sun.

We think this is a very family-friendly beach, especially if you're on the sand section, but it will be a challenge to access for travellers with limited mobility.

CALETTE DI TORRE CINTOLA

If you’re very much of the belief that a good beach day requires sand, this is not the place for you.

However, for those of us that become enamoured with Italian love of rocky bathing spots and crystal clear waters, Calette di Torre Cintola is simply a wonderful, unique spot.

Located atop the ruins of what was once a 16th-century coastal watchtower (and what looked to us like the remains of a quarry), this charming collection of calette stretch a few hundred metres with a variety of high and low, relatively smooth rocky outcrops surrounded by beautiful crystalline waters.

Whether it’s a stop for a couple of hours or for a proper day of sunbathing and swimming, this is unmissable and oh so Italian!

Access + Parking | Find Calette di Torre Cintola here on Google Maps, a 15-minute / 8km drive from Monopoli.

The sunbathing rocks run parallel to the road for a decent stretch, and there are several dusty parking areas on one side, all of which appeared to require a daily payment varying between €4 and €5. We managed to find a space in this free parking area (maps), which was ideal but would fill up early on weekends.

From the various car parking spots it’s easy enough to access the rocky outcrops, but getting down to the water does need a decent level of mobility - plus sea shoes. Due to the rocks common across many of Puglia’s best beaches, the footwear is a summer staple amongst Italians (including the stylish ones), so not a bad addition to your suitcase. You can find lots here on Amazon.

Facilities | There are a couple of beach bars located at either end of the calette but if you’re planning on spending the day here, we’d recommend coming prepared with snack and drinks so you don’t have to abandon your spot if you get thirsty!

Monopoli Beaches | NORTH OF THE TOWN

As we mentioned, we think the pick of the best and more unique spots for a proper beach day are within or south of Monopoli.

However, with the famous Polignano a Mare is just a 20-minute drive or train journey north, 99% of you staying in Monopoli or doing a Puglia road trip will absolutely head there at some point.

The reality is that beyond Polignano, there really aren't any beaches or calas we've found that are worth making a beeline for, so we suggest pack the swim suits and including the below into your day wandering around the pretty town.

CALA PORTO

A handful of years ago, back when Puglia was yet to reach the imaginations of non-Italians, an image surfaced that forever changed the course of the region’s tourism; a photo of a small pebble beach edged by limestone cliffs, white-washed houses, and the most vibrant of aquamarine waters.

This was Cala Porto in Polignano a Mare (also known as Lama Monachile).

As foreign tourist numbers have increased, the crowds have marched south and west to discover alternative pockets of beauty across the region, but this little beach remains one of Puglia’s most iconic - and some world argue - its most beautiful.

Unfortunately, this fame does mean that even outside of the peak summer months (that is July and August), this pebble beach is incredibly busy - somewhat unpleasantly so at times - making it one for a quick dip and a gander rather than a full-on day in the sun.

Access + Parking | Find Cala Porto here on Google Maps, a 15-minute / 10km drive from Monopoli.

You can travel by train from Monopoli to Polignano a Mare in just five minutes.

As this beach is located in Polignano a Mare’s historic centre, the nearest parking is a good 5-10 minutes walk from the beach. There are an abundance of parking lots (as well as the possibility to find on-street paid for and free parking) but for ease we’d recommend seeking out this car park first which charges €1.50 per hour.

To reach the beach from the centre of Polignano, you need to to take a steepish set of stairs down from the bridge - they’re easily identified on the left after the bridge, walking away from the historical centre.

Facilities | This is a pebble beach, so if you plan on being here for a while, be sure to bring something comfortable to sit on! There’s a small lido at the top part of the beach but prices are some of the highest we’ve seen across anywhere in Italy - expect to pay around €60 for two sunbeds and an umbrella. Cala Porto’s location in the centre of a touristic town means you have the benefit of being within a couple of minutes’ walk to an abundance of excellent restaurants which cater to all budgets, as well as several takeouts and shops.

Keep Reading // A Short Guide to Polignano a Mare

Grottone & Cala Paguro

Whilst you absolutely can’t visit Polignano without at least checking out the view of Lama Monachile, if the crowds are a little overwhelming or pebble beaches just really aren’t your thing, we highly recommend taking the short walk along the coast to the towns other swimming spots.

The same crystal clear waters, but significantly smaller crowds - win, win!

In fact, we actually much preferred the beaches and sunbathing spots that can be found if you trace the coast on foot ever so slightly north of the town centre. Still popular, they offer a more relaxed local experience with much more chance of getting a spot.

Grottone | The difficulty of accessing the water within this natural swimming pool (and the open sea around it) keeps a steady limit on the numbers that choose to hang out at this gorgeous swimming spot. Absolutely not one for families, we’d make a beeline here over the main beach any day of the week - just make sure you bring your sea shoes with you! Grottone is around a 5-10 minute walk from the large bridge; find it here on Google Maps

Cala Paguro | Continue around the coast a few minutes longer and you will find Cala Paguro, a charming little cove that feels a little more like Menorca than Puglia. The small pebble beach doesn’t offer up much space, but there is plenty of flat stone areas around the little harbour which prove a very popular spot for locals to enjoy the sun and escape some of the tourist crowds.

If you’re looking for an alternative place to park, there’s a small free public carpark just behind it, with stone steps leading down to the beach.

Find it Cala Paguro here on Google Maps.

Top Tip // If you’ve got an Airbnb or apartment with a decent kitchen (especially if it comes with a gorgeous roof terrace like this one!), and are wanting to cook up some fresh seafood, there’s an excellent fish shop - Da Pasqualino, Il Re del Polpo - right by the beach, just here. They also do simple plates of the daily catch that make a nice lunch. Note that their opening hours do vary dependent upon time of year - we recommend checking out their Facebook page for up to date times.

Plan // 13 Wonderful Things To Do In Polignano A Mare