Apulia · Bari
Monopoli
An Adriatic walled town forty kilometers south of Bari, the Charles V castle on the headland, 156 square kilometers of coastline behind it.
- Best time
- May–Sep
- By car
- 42 min from Bari
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 47,996
Known for
CHARLES V CASTLE
Pentagonal Spanish fortress of the 1550s on the headland above the old port, the centerpiece of the town's sixteenth-century defenses.
ADRIATIC PORT
Working fishing harbor at the foot of the centro storico, Venetian trading hub from 1484, sixty years of Republic of San Marco rule.
COVES AND BEACHES
Fifteen kilometers of coast with sandy coves, cliff sections and the small Cala Porta Vecchia directly under the old town walls.
MOZZARELLA DI GIOIA DEL COLLE
The commune lies inside the Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle DOP production zone.
When to visit
Best · May–Sep
- J14°
- F15°
- M15°
- A18°
- M24°
- J28°
- J32°
- A31°
- S28°
- O23°
- N19°
- D15°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 14°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Monopoli sits on the Adriatic forty kilometers southeast of Bari, a walled town extending from the sea fifteen kilometers inland to the first Murge hills. The territory covers 156 square kilometers with sandy coves, cliff sections and the old port at the centro storico. The site has been inhabited since the Epigravettian, around fifteen thousand years ago; a fortified Messapian settlement existed by 500 BC.
The name comes from the Greek for 'only city,' which Monopoli inherited when refugees from nearby Gnatia arrived after the Ostrogoth king Totila destroyed it in 545. Byzantines, Normans and Hohenstaufen followed. In 1484 Venice took the town and ran it as a trading port between Bari and Brindisi for sixty years. The Castello Carlo V on the headland and the resistance to the imperial Armada in 1529, which forced the Spaniards to abandon a three-month siege, both belong to that century of fortification.
The Sunday letter
Monopoli is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Monopoli comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Monopoli in our articles
The best cheese towns within 45 minutes of Bari6 towns, Monopoli among them.
The best coastal towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of Bari6 towns, Monopoli among them.
The best olive oil towns that eat well within 90 minutes of Bari6 towns, Monopoli among them.
The best towns that eat well in the province of Bari6 towns, Monopoli among them.
How to get there
From Bari / Brindisi (BRI), about 54 minutes by car.
Naples / Salerno (NAP) is about 3h 47m away.
By car from the centre of Bari 42 minutes, Lecce 1h 21m or Salerno 3h 46m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Bari?
Coming by train into Bari Centrale? Monopoli is about 44 minutes away by road.
What to see
Castello Carlo V
Sixteenth-century pentagonal fortress on the headland above the old port, built by the Spanish to defend against Ottoman raids and Venetian return.
Basilica Cattedrale Maria Santissima della Madia
Eighteenth-century baroque cathedral on the old town's central square, raised over earlier medieval foundations, the city's principal monument.
Centro storico
Walled old town on the small headland, white limestone alleys, the cathedral and the castle facing each other across narrow lanes above the port.
Porto Vecchio
Old fishing port at the foot of the centro storico, wooden gozzi tied along the quay, the working dock still used by local fishermen at dawn.
Cala Porta Vecchia
Small sandy beach tucked directly under the centro storico walls, the closest swim to the historic core and the easiest summer landmark.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Monopoli fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
OrtoRistorante
Orto carries one Gambero Rosso fork (77/100), plus a spot in the Michelin Guide.
My Wine il piacere del palatoWine Bar
My Wine il piacere del palato has a Gambero Rosso listing to its name.
RadimareRistorante
Radimare has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.
Saleblu de La Peschiera HotelRistorante
Saleblu de La Peschiera Hotel carries two Gambero Rosso forks (80/100).
Living here
- Population 47,996
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Bari / Brindisi, 54 min drive
- Regional capital Bari, 42 min drive
Common questions
- What is Monopoli known for?
- Monopoli is an Adriatic walled town forty kilometers south of Bari, the Charles V castle on the headland, 156 square kilometers of coastline behind it.
- Where is Monopoli?
- Monopoli is a comune in the province of Bari, in Apulia, at 9 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Monopoli?
- Bari / Brindisi (BRI), about 54 minutes by car.
- Can you get to Monopoli without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Bari to Monopoli?
- About 42 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Monopoli?
- Best in May–Sep. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 11 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Monopoli?
- Gallipoli, Polignano a Mare and Carovigno.
- How many people live in Monopoli?
- 47,996 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 9 m
- Population: 47,996
- Surface area: 157.89 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Featured on
Monopoli appears on this themed pick from our Collections:
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