Italy
Polignano a Mare
Houses perched on a cliff edge above a cove where swimmers dive from restaurant balconies.
Houses end where the cliff begins, their balconies cantilevered over a cove so far below that swimmers look like flecks of light on the water. The limestone is pockmarked with sea caves. Waves detonate against the rock face and send spray up past the restaurant terraces.
Polignano a Mare is a town in Puglia built directly onto the edge of a limestone cliff above the Adriatic, its old town perched on a promontory riddled with sea caves and natural arches. Lama Monachile, the town's central cove flanked by the old Roman bridge, has become one of the most photographed beaches in Italy. The town is the birthplace of Domenico Modugno, whose statue on the seafront terrace commemorates the singer of 'Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu' (Volare). The Grotta Palazzese restaurant, set inside a natural limestone cave above the sea, has served diners in the same karst chamber since the 18th century. Each summer, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series uses the old town's cliffs as its Italian venue, with divers launching from platforms 27 metres above the water.
Couple
Dinner inside a sea cave with waves breaking below the terrace, followed by a walk along the cliff-edge promenade at dusk — Polignano delivers drama that doesn't need to be manufactured.
Friends
The cliff-jumping culture, beach cove swimming, and aperitivo scene on the terrazza make Polignano a place that balances adrenaline with laid-back coastal socialising.
- Ristorante Grotta Palazzese is built into a sea cave with tables on ledges above the Adriatic — it has operated as a restaurant since the 18th century.
- The Red Bull cliff diving competition is held here annually — the same rocks used in competition are accessible to swimmers from the cove directly below.
- The old town is 12 streets wide, perched entirely over the sea — every terrace has a direct view of open water.
- The beach below the town is reached through a tunnel under the old buildings — less than 100 metres of sand, completely encircled by cliff.
Raw sea urchin scooped from the shell at the harbour, briny and sweet.
Orecchiette alle cozze, mussel pasta with a hit of white wine and chilli.
Miyako Island
Japan
Coral limestone bridges spanning to tiny islands across water so blue it hurts to look.
Bandar Khayran
Oman
Secret coves reachable only by boat, where the Hajar Mountains tumble straight into the sea.
Santa Maria
Cape Verde
Trade winds blast a long golden beach where kitesurfers trace arcs above turquoise Atlantic rollers.
German Channel
Palau
A reef passage dynamited by German colonists for phosphate cargo, now a manta ray highway.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Italy
Three vertical rock towers punching through alpine cloud, their shadows sweeping across scree fields.
Taormina
Italy
A Greek theatre where Etna smoulders behind the stage, the sea glittering far below.
Altopiano del Renon
Italy
Earth pyramids stand like hooded sentinels above vineyards where German and Italian blur.
Herculaneum
Italy
Better preserved than Pompeii, two-storey houses with wooden beams intact, sealed by volcanic mud.