Polignano a Mare, with its white centre perched over the Adriatic, has gone viral: in summer the alleyways and coves fill up and the magic is lost among queues and selfies. Here are stone villages and cities overlooking the sea, from Apulia to the Balkans, where you can rediscover the same cliffs and the same blue in the silence of undertourism.
Polignano a Mare in high season: → the alternatives below are far quieter.
A Byzantine fortress on an islet off the Peloponnese: Monemvasia stays invisible until you round the final bend, into a maze of stone alleys.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
Camogli and Boccadasse: two fishing harbours near Genoa, with pastel houses and beached boats, to experience authentic Liguria without the crush.
Not very crowded Jun 21, 2026
In Kotor, beyond the cathedral stormed by cruise passengers, the inner lanes remain a silent maze of stone and cats.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
On the Gulf of Corinth, Nafpaktos is a fortified Venetian harbour with walls that run down to the sea: quiet Greece with no queues.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
Among olive trees and the Adriatic, in Apulia, the ruins of Egnazia: a silent archaeological site where you can walk among Messapians, Romans and Byzantines.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
On the Mani peninsula in Greece, Vathia gathers its stone towers on a wind-battered hill, among almost deserted olive groves and sea.
Almost deserted Jun 21, 2026| Destination | Crowding | Recommended months | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monemvasia, the Stone Town That Hides in the Sea | Very quiet | April, May, June, September and October | Monemvasia (Laconia |
| Camogli and Boccadasse: two fishing harbours where Genoa slows down | Not very crowded | March, April, May, October and November | Genoa |
| Kotor, beyond the square: the inner labyrinth of the old town | Very quiet | April, May and October | Kotor |
| Nafpaktos, the Venetian Harbour Greece Doesn't Tell You About | Very quiet | April, May, June, September and October | Nafpaktos (Aetolia-Acarnania) |
| Egnazia, the ruins on the Adriatic between Messapians, Romans and Byzantines | Very quiet | April, May, June, September and October | Fasano (Brindisi) |
| Vathia, the stone towers of the Mani perched in the wind | Almost deserted | April, May, June, September and October | Mani Peninsula |
Crowding goes from "almost empty" to "very crowded" on our index. Overtourism index