Eastern coast Italian town. Chill or boring, depends what you like.
I came here for a dance event. Not because I heard it was amazing and wanted to check it out. Turns out it’s pretty boring and not so unique but indeed there are a few things you can do and see if you have to be here.
1 day is enough for me. Put more days if you really want to relax and do nothing.
Where to stay:
- Definitely stay near the center.
- I would not stay at the small nearby towns, like Torre a Mare or Mola di Bari. They sound cute and charmy but in fact they are boring. Nothing to do. Nothing is open during siesta time (“riposo”). You will be bored out of your mind. Not only that but taxis don’t run late, so you’re screwed if you’re in the next town over and try to get back.
Hostels:
- I was in a hotel and AirBnB.
Neighborhoods & Walking areas:
- Inside squares – walk around inside.
- Water areas – can be down by the water or up on the walls.
Bari is small…you can walk all over within an hour or two.
Activities to do:
- Basilica San Niccola – not as nice outside as say the Duomo in Milano or the cathedral in Florence. But the inside is definitely cool and unique (different from other churches), especially with the ceiling framing and also crooked bridges.
- Theaters – Teatro Petruzzelli (considered most important building in Bari) and Museo Teatro Margherita (I don’t know what’s in there). But go check them out.
Restaurants & Cafes:
- La Tana del Polpo – this is THE restaurant everyone goes to in Bari. Great food, terrible/slow service. Make sure you get a reservation or else it’s going to be hell trying to get a table. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- Le Nicchie – another good restaurant. Not rated well on Google reviews but my friend says it’s good.
- Panificio Fiore – nice bakery.
- Antica gelateria Gentile – awesome gelato place.
I suspect some of the bad restaurant reviews are for service rather than for food. Read the reviews carefully.
Other things my local friend (who grew up here) told me to eat: orichiette (super traditional), polenta frita (made by some old ladies).
Bars & Clubs:
- Look them up – you can look up lists online.
- El Chiringuito – nice one by the water with many locals (it seems) hanging around outside. It looked popular during the day.
Miscellaneous tips:
- Transportation – nothing runs late (past 23-24h) so be careful not to be stranded at a town next over. There will be no taxi to take you back, even if you call every number and ask every local person for their private driver. Best idea is to rent a car from the airport so you have a reliable way of getting around. Or else don’t go anywhere that you can’t walk to and from your place. Some people will suggest to look for a taxi from the train station (but that didn’t work for us either).
- Bidonville Vintage Store Bari – cool thrift store.
Nearby towns:
- Torre a Mare – small and boring as hell. Also a lot of it is spread out and inconvenient to walk around.
- Mola di Bari – bigger and better than Torre a Mare, but that isn’t saying much.