The morning begins with coastal light and sea air as we make our way to Polignano a Mare. Built on limestone cliffs carved by centuries of wind and waves, the town feels suspended between sky and sea. We stroll its labyrinth of whitewashed lanes, pausing at poetry-scrawled balconies and hidden viewpoints that drop dramatically into the turquoise Adriatic. There’s time to browse ceramics or sip a caffè in the piazza before settling into a scenic lunch on your own—perhaps crudo by the cliff’s edge or handmade orecchiette beneath a canopy of lemon trees.

In the afternoon, we continue to Monopoli, where the pace slows. Fishermen mend their nets by the harbor walls. A 16th-century castle watches over the sea. We wander the old town’s sun-bleached stone streets, slipping into chapels, artisan workshops, and quiet piazzas scented with jasmine. 

This is Puglia at its most cinematic. Two towns. One perfect day.

Back at the Masseria, as evening falls, we toast the day with aperitivi and linger over dinner—fresh catch, a crisp glass of Verdeca, and the glow of soft light over our farmhouse.