Tremiti Islands

Location
A small archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, approximately 10 nautical miles from the southern coast of Gargano in Puglia. There are 3 main islands San Domino, San Nicola and Capraia, the little island of Cretaccio and several very small islands and rocks; the surrounding sea is a protected marine reserve. The islands can be reached by sea from Rodi, Peschici, Vieste, Manfredonia and Termoli and by helicopter from Foggia.
The Area
The Tremiti Islands are formed by limestone and yellowish marls. The island’s outline is completely covered by coves and charming caves.

Spokespersons
This small archipelago’s origin is tied to the fascinating legend of Diomedes, a Greek hero who established himself here and outlined its border with mammoth stones transported on his boat from distant Thrace. He was left with three boulders, which, with the force of his strength and the anger for his unpleasant destiny, he hurled into the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean. Thus the Diomedes Islands were born, today known as the Tremiti Islands.

What to see
The island of San Domino is the largest. The entire island in its jagged beauty can be admired from an altitude of 120 m atop Eremita hill. The rocky part is full of caves. The most beautiful are the Viole cave, called this way due to the reflections of the water under the morning sun, and Sole, Menichello and Bue Marino caves. San Domino is the resort par excellence, but when visitors get off one of the numerous ferries leaving the mainland, they are immediately overcome by a sense of peace and tranquillity. There are no cars on this island, nor are there any on San Nicola. Second largest, San Nicola is the “island of sunsets”; as the sun goes down over the horizon, the scenery becomes a charming pink colour, thanks to a phenomenon of phosphorescence. The Benedictine abbey dating back to the beginning of 1000 AD is well worth a visit; it was restored during the 15th Century and remodelled in the Baroque period. It preserves artistic beauties including a rare mosaic floor and a Greek-Byzantine wooden cross. The other islands are uninhabited. Capraia is also known as Capperara (from capers) for its abundance of wild capers, and has rocks forming large, bizarre, natural arches over the sea. Cretaccio, a little island between San Domino and San Nicola with yellowish, clayey soil, is overrun by a small colony of wild rabbits. Despite its distance, Pianosa is also part of the archipelago and the natural marine reserve protecting it. The seabed of the Tremiti Islands is home to impressive underwater archaeological discoveries. For the most part, they include ships that sunk in this stretch of sea, which is a crossroads for mercantile traffic in the Mediterranean and a stopping point for fleets navigating towards the Orient. The most recent discoveries include the Lombardo, which sunk in 1864 and was one of the two steamships used to send Garibaldi’s Thousand to Sicily, and a warship from the Venetian fleet, which in 1571 defeated the Turks and stopped the Ottoman Empire from advancing towards the Christian Western World.

 

By day and by night
Diving enthusiasts will find one of the most charming destinations in this stretch of sea: caves and passageways have become habitats to beds of red sea-fans and Alcyonaria, lobsters and nudibranchs. A dive at the arches of Punta Secca in Capraia must be experienced. The marine park of the Tremiti Islands is also called the Blue park: the reserve includes the entire coast up to 70 m deep. Divers are accompanied by park guides. A dive for experts, due to its depth and strong currents, is at Punta Secca close to the little island of Capraia: according to experts, this area is home to the highest concentration of fish varieties.

Room with a view
The island of San Domino has the only accommodations on the entire archipelago, which are perfectly integrated with the environment.

What to eat
The fish trophies in San Domino tell of its great marine riches. Scorpion fish, groupers, lobsters, dentexes and octopuses are all wisely cooked by the locals in sea water so they don’t lose their smell and flavour. The dishes and recipes are from traditional cuisine from Puglia.