La città di Monopoli – the city, or better, small town of Monopoli.

In Monopoli’s historic centre with its winding maze of narrow alleys all houses seem to be connected with each other. Laundry is hanging from the balconies, and grandmothers are sitting in front of their houses cleaning vegetables, you hear Italian radio playing and the sound of waves breaking against the quay. Monopoli seems to be straight out of a picture-book, yet it is a real, vibrant town where people live and work.

The local beach Cala Porta Vecchia is only a 2-minute walk (3 in flip-flops) from Casa Polpo or Casa Fava.

Narrow alleys, plenty of churches. Most buildings originate from the 17th century. Monopoli has one of the largest Centri Storici in Italy.

Every day around 5 pm the fishing boats return to the harbour, and one hour later the freshly caught seafood arrives at the fishmongers’ who may offer you a piece of raw squid for tasting, if you’re lucky.