There is no doubt that some of the top things to do in Bari Italy are visiting the historic sites, theaters, museums and cathedrals. Having said this, spending time beach is also another popular thing to do during a vacation in Bari.

Things tourists miss doing while in Italy

If you’re wondering about beaches in Bari Italy, you will find that Bari Italy only boasts one proper swimming beach called Pane e Pomodoro Beach, which is juts 10 minutes from the town center of Bari, and around 20 minutes drive from Bari Palese Airport.

If you’re looking for bigger beaches than Pane e Pomodoro, you will need to drive further north or south of Bari to places such as Trani, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Barletta, Ostuni and Bisceglie.

Beaches in Bari Italy: North of Bari

The towns of Bisceglie, Barletta, Polignano a Mare and Trani boast some of the nicest beaches near Bari Italy and they’re only an hour’s drive from Bari Italy.

Trani, Barletta and Bisceglie are located north of Bari and boast a beautiful coastline with mainly pebble and white sandy beaches.

The town of Barletta is home to the beaches of Barletta (south) Sud and Barletta (north) Nord, while Trani and Bisceglie boasts their own nice city beaches.

Having said this, Bisceglie is the most popular spot for beach vacation, not only because of its location, but also because of its beach resorts such as Hotel Salsello and Hotel Villa.

Beaches in Bari Italy: South of Bari

If you truly want beautiful white sandy beaches and Blue Flag beaches, you'll need to head really south to places like Ostuni, Brindisi and Otranto, which are fairly far by car.

Tourist Attractions in Northern Italy

However, you don't need to go as far as those places mentioned above to enjoy blue Flag beaches. In fact, the beach in the town of Polignano a Mare is just 30 minutes south of Bari and it’s a beautiful beach with a stunning rocky formations.

This beach isn't the biggest, but the great thing about a trip to Polignano a Mare is that the town boasts lots of coves, which is great if you're looking to do sea kayaking.

The city of Monopoli is just a little further south from Polignano a Mare, and it's a real gem. Monopoli boasts plenty of small beaches, lively atmosphere and plenty of beach hotels, which makes Monopoli one of the best beaches near Bari Italy along the southern coast of Puglia.

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If you’re wondering what there is to see and do in Bari, you'll find that some of the most popular things to do in Bari Italy include:

beaches in Bari Italy

-visiting museums and ruin sites
-enjoying a bit of hiking
-taking ferry trips Dubrovnik Croatia, Durres Albania and Corfu Greece.

If you're looking for things to do in Bari Italy outdoors, there are plenty of activities you can do such as:

Excursions

Alta Murgia National Park

A popular excursion that you can do out of Bari Italy, it’s to the nearby Alta Murgia National Park (Parco Nazionale dell' Alta Murgia), which is only 30 miles southwest of Bari’s town center.

Things tourists miss doing while in Italy

The park has experienced guided tours which can take you out either on a hiking tour or by mini-bus tour to visit the park's trullos, which are traditional stone dwellings.

Nearby Towns

Apart from exploring the majestic Alta Murgia National Park, you can explore the surrounding towns of Ruvo, Gravina and Altamura for a bit of sightseeing.

Tourist Attractions in Northern Italy

In Ruvo, you'll find the beautiful Co-Cathedral, and the castle ruins of Frederick II in the town of Gravina, while the Archaeological Museum of Altamura is just amazing. You can see ancient tombs, lots of old vasses on display and dinosaur footprints.

Day Trip

Most people that stay in Bari Italy more than a week do add one or two day trips to their itinerary. Three of the most popular day trips include Rome Italy, Napoli Italy and Dubrovnik Croatia.

best beaches in the Mediterranean

The day trip to Dubrovnik Croatia actually takes 8 hours and costs around $43 (36Euros) onboard ferrys such as Marko Polo.

Beaches

If you’re looking to enjoy some time at the beach, Bari Italy is home to a beach on the small side with a few amenities. Do bear in mind that it gets rather crowded here during the busy season.

If you are hiring a car in Bari Italy, you can always drive to other nearby beaches such as Bisceglie beach, Cozze beach or Trani beach.

Things to do in Bari Italy: Places of Interest

San Nicola a Mare

San Nicola a Mare is located in the Old Quarter of Bari Italy home to a few important landmarks such as the churches of San Nicola and Bari, and Castello Svevo.

History Museum

If you are interested in European history, the History Museum (Museo Storico Civico) boasts exhibits on World War I weapons, the French Revolution and other various interesting items such as old medieval documents.

Bari Harbor

The Old Port of Bari is another place worth visiting and exploring, if anything, to observe luxury yachts and ships docked on the marina.

Things to do in Bari Italy: Shopping

There are a few shopping malls in Bari Italy where you can enjoy retail shopping. One of the biggest one it's Sandi shopping center, located near the Madonnella district. (around 10 minutes drive from the center of Bari)

The other bigger mall, it’s Carrefour Bari centro, located south of Bari’s city center (around 15 minutes by car).

Apart from shopping malls, one of the most popular things to do in Bari Italy is explore the street markets and boutique shops.

For instance, Corso Vittorio and Via Sparano in the Murat quarter are filled with many upscale boutique shops ranging from designer shops to jewelry stores.

Popular street markets include:

- Ferrarese market is held on Ferranese Square and offers fresh vegetables, fruits and fish and it’s a great place for finding affordable food items.

- Borgo Murattiano and Cofso Cavour markets are bigger street markets offering many different street vendors selling all kind of goods.

Things to do in Bari Italy: Nightlife & Entertainment

The heart of Bari’s city center and the Old Quarter of Bari are filled with restaurants, hotel accommodation, pizzerias, bars and lovely cafes where you can enjoy a nice dinner or a pleasant drink.

In particular, the area near the University of Bari is a popular place to find nightlife. For instance, Corso Vittorio, Via Nicolo Putignani, Via Abate Giacinto are three streets filled with bars and discos.

Two other main squares, Piazza Mercantile and Piazza Ferrarese located on the Old Quarter of Bari are also home to many pubs and bars.

Entertainment-wise, Bari Italy is home to over ten cinemas or movie theaters such as Multicinema Galleria on Corso Italia road, and Cinema Armenise, located on Via Pasubio.

General Overview

The city of Bari Italy is a lovely student town home to the University of Bari, located within the heart of Bari Italy.

Bari Italy is slowly becoming apparent on most travelers’ radar who usually go for popular Mediterranean destinations such as Tarragona Spain, Nice France, Cagliari Sardinia, Palermo Sicily, Sassari Sardinia and Mykonos Greece.

Having said this, Bari Italy is an excellent holiday base, and if you wished to visit Napoli and Rome, you’re only a couple of hours away by train.

One of the best times to visit Bari Italy, it’s during one of the festivities there such as Festa di San Nicola, which is held for three days in early May.

The Festa di San Nicola boasts street processions and plenty of live entertainment, and you’ll truly be able to soak real southern Italian culture.

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