The archipelago with the castle of San Nicola
About 20 kilometres off the coast of the Gargano, the Tremiti Islands are the only archipelago in the Italian Adriatic: a group of small limestone islands covered with Aleppo pines, surrounded by one of the clearest seas in Italy, protected as a marine reserve and part of the Gargano National Park. Only two are inhabited: San Domino, the largest and greenest, with pine woods, coves and the only sandy beach, Cala delle Arene, and San Nicola, the historic and administrative centre.
San Nicola is a fortified rock dominated by the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare, founded by Benedictine monks in the eleventh century and later held by the Lateran Canons, enclosed by mighty walls and towers that make it look like a castle rising from the sea. Inside the church is a twelfth century mosaic floor and a Byzantine painted crucifix. The islands, used for centuries as a place of exile and confinement, from the Roman era, when Julia, Augustus' granddaughter, was exiled here, to the Fascist period, have a rich history. The uninhabited islets of Capraia and Cretaccio and the distant Pianosa complete the archipelago. The sea is ideal for diving and snorkelling, with caves, such as the Grotta del Bue Marino, and rocky seabeds.
Tip: ferries and hydrofoils leave from Termoli, Vieste, Peschici and Rodi Garganico; in summer, a boat tour around the islands is the best way to see the caves.
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