The Tremiti Islands

The Tremiti Islands are a paradise in the Adriatic for all those who madly love the sea and its inhabitants. Organizing a holiday or a trip to this archipelago means getting in touch with an uncontaminated place, where the sea is transparent and full of life, where you can treat yourself to unforgettable moments exploring the many coves and sea caves.

How to get:

• By ship: The main departure ports are in Abruzzo (Pescara, Ortona, Vasto), in Molise (Termoli), and in Puglia (Rodi Garganico, Peschici, Vieste, Manfredonia). The means mainly used for the crossing are ferries but there are also ships, motor vessels, hydrofoils, etc. The port with the most departures is that of Termoli.
• By helicopter: From Foggia with a 20-minute flight. Attention, it is not possible (with exceptions) to go to the islands by car or motorbike but on the other hand they are so small that getting around on foot or by boat is the best solution.

What to see in the Tremiti Islands:

The Tremiti Islands, also known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, are a still uncontaminated place of incredible charm and beauty. They are 10 miles off the coast, and are a complex of five islands. The largest is that of San Domino and is also the most touristic, its coasts are all rocky with the exception of a sandy stretch called “Cala delle Arene”, it is covered with Aleppo pines and is undoubtedly beautiful! Around the coast there are 3 sea caves, all of which can be visited by boat, they are:

• the Bue Marino cave
• the Rondinelle cave
• the cave of violets.

The second in order of size is Capraia, whose name derives from the presence of caper plants, uninhabited by man but home to seagulls, covered with flowers and herbs. San Nicola instead is the island that houses the administration and where most of the inhabitants live, the monuments that tell its story make it an open-air museum, you can see: towers, walls, churches and cloisters built in medieval times . Pianosa is the farthest from the Italian coast, about 20 miles, also uninhabited. The fifth island is called Cretaccio. In fact it is a large clay rock between San Domino and San Nicola, once there was a real wooden bridge that connected them.

Paradise for those who love snorkelling

The sea that bathes the archipelago is transparent, there are underwater walls and lots of life. Diving you can see the Posidonia meadows, the gorgonian forests and deeper down the black coral forest where most of the underwater life is concentrated. These islands are a paradise for those who love snorkelling or diving. There are 23 underwater trails, but it is important to know that the Tremiti islands are part of the Gargano National Park as a Marine Nature Reserve. So, it is good to inquire about the areas in which to dive or practice sport fishing.

Curiosity:

Legend has it that Diomede landed on the Tremiti Islands after the Trojan War and that the colony of seagulls that live here today are the incarnation of Diomede’s warriors who mourn his death.