Tremiti Islands

The Tremiti are five islands about twenty kilometres off the Gargano coast, the only archipelago in the Adriatic: San Domino with Aleppo pine woods and most of the accommodation, San Nicola with a fortified abbey complex begun by Benedictines in the eleventh century, plus Capraia, Cretaccio and the distant Pianosa. The waters are part of the Gargano national park's marine reserve and are among the clearest in the Adriatic, with diving on wrecks and a submerged statue. San Nicola's abbey walls enclose a small settlement and a church with a mosaic floor and a wooden crucifix. Pianosa is strictly protected with access limited.

Background

The islands, also called the Isole Diomedee, lie some 10 miles north of the Gargano Peninsula and form a comune of the Province of Foggia with 470 inhabitants. People have lived here since the late Iron Age, in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. Benedictines from Montecassino apparently founded the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare on San Nicola in the 9th century, and by the 13th century it held mainland estates from the Biferno to Trani. Cistercians took over in 1237, then the Lateran Canons in 1412, who added cisterns and fortifications. In 1843 people from Naples were settled here and mostly became fishermen. Up to 100,000 visitors come each summer.

Source: Wikipedia, "Tremiti Islands"

What's there

• San Nicola's abbey - a fortified monastic complex on a rock island.
• San Domino's pine woods - Aleppo pine covering the largest island.
• The marine reserve - clear water with regulated diving and snorkelling.
• The sea caves - grottoes around the coasts, visited by boat.

When to go

June to September; ferries are much reduced from October to May and cancelled in rough weather. August is crowded and accommodation is limited.

What to expect

Ferries are weather dependent and can strand visitors. Accommodation is limited and books out. Reserve zones restrict anchoring, fishing and access.

Nearby

The Gargano peninsula lies south; Termoli is west.

Key facts