We have discussed the beautiful town of Polignano a Mare in Apulia many times before as a picturesque gem defined by whitewashed buildings perched high on the edge of rugged cliffs and overlooking impossibly blue waters below. Of course, there is more to the town, including the iconic and pretty little beach nestled between two of those cliffs right at the centre of the town, the charming piazze, the winding streets, the perfect places to sit out and eat or sip on a coffee, the balconies with flowers spilling over them, and much more besides. However, those cliffs are actually rather important and worth paying attention to if you are thinking of booking a villa in Apulia.
Over a staggering 20m in height, made of bright creamy limestone, craggy and dramatic, and overlooking the deep and beautiful waters of the Adriatic below, the unbelievable cliffs of Polignano a Mare are almost always annually one of the key stops or legs of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Earlier this year, on the 2nd of July, they hosted one of the primary European legs of the tour for 2023. In fact, the town is often labelled the Home to European cliff-diving!
An important element of the identity of the charming town of Polignano a Mare, its striking cliffs really are a perfect place for a competition such as this. The official event sees the invited athletes who compete in these events all over the world dive directly from a massive platform that is constructed on the cliffs to overlook the water for the event. However, in another round, divers actually leap directly from a balcony that is located on a private roof-top terrace and that competitors must reach by going through someone’s living room first!
Whenever the official event takes place, locals gather on surfboards, boats, and any other floating objects to sit out in the water or they cluster along the beach or in buildings and along the cliffs to watch the extraordinary spectacle. Particular connoisseurs among these massive crowds of locals and tourists are the teenagers of the area who can be spotted all throughout the year (outside the official competition) diving off of lower cliffs along the surrounding coastline. Those visitors with an adventurous spirit but who are not quite at the professional level can also get a little bit of a taste of this thrill by doing the same during a holiday in Apulia. However, nothing quite compares to the intense terror and exquisite excitement of watching the astounding professional divers as they fly and flip through the air multiple times in the seconds it takes for them to reach the water.
So, whether you are braving some cliff-dives yourself, you are simply living vicariously through the fearless kids trying it out while you safely enjoy the beaches in the area, or you are planning on attending this thrilling event when it takes place, excitement and adventure await for those who find a vacation rental in Apulia and come explore the wonderful town of Polignano a Mare. The world tour tends to stop in the town pretty much every year so if you keep an eye out when you are booking your holiday rental in Apulia, then you can try and line up your stay so that you can take in this breathtaking display of athleticism and courage for yourself! But even if you are travelling to the area and no massive cliff-diving events are taking place, the iconic and stunning cliffs of Polignano a Mare are sure to impress and astound with their immense natural beauty.