If there were a place comparable to a paradise, it would certainly be the Gargano Peninsula in region Puglia, Italy. Unspoiled nature, a dreamy sea, romantic towns. What could be more beautiful than this? Perhaps small segments of land, a few nautical miles offshore. Pieces of Italy projected toward the east, maybe much closer to Albania than to the Foggia coast: these are the Tremiti Islands. Don’t be fooled by the name that sounds like “trembling”: earthquake has nothing to do with them. The word derives instead from an ancient Latin term (tèrmetes) that referred to olive trees. Try a romantic September vacation on one of these islands, which together form a scattered municipality (in the district of Foggia), to enjoy a mild yet cool climate and a sea that offers unique emotions.
How do you get to the Tremiti Islands?
There are three airports that will allow you to quickly reach the ports for the Tremiti Islands: Naples Capodichino (NAP) located 180 km from the Gargano ports, Bari Airport (BRI) located 170 km away, a two and a half hour drive, and Pescara Airport (PSR), which is the furthest—230 km, a three-hour drive from Gargano. Thanks to the fast transportation provided by our chauffeured transfers, you can cover the distance effortlessly and so quickly reach the ports. There is also a closer airport in Foggia, which however only receives a few flights, and not always international ones.
From the docks of Vieste, Termoli, or Manfredonia, ferries take between fifty minutes and an hour and a half to reach the islands. Once there, the most common ways to get around are on foot, by bicycle, or by boat.
Diamonds in the Adriatic
The Tremiti Islands, these diamonds scattered across the Adriatic Sea, vary in shape and size. There are six islands in total, only two of which are inhabited:
• San Domino is the largest, most populous, and the only one with a real tourist beach;
• San Nicola is home to the municipal headquarters that manage all the islands;
• Capraia is the second largest island but is uninhabited;
• Pianosa is the smallest and flattest island in the archipelago;
• Cretaccio is the fifth island, a clay rock next to which lies the sixth islet, La Vecchia Rock.
For centuries, these islands have been used as prisons, as places of exile during wars, or as hermitages housing cloistered monastic communities. The municipality of the Tremiti Islands was established only in 1932 and began to attract tourism in the 1950s.
Your holiday on the island of San Domino
The island of San Domino is a tourist island. And a place of caves! Here you will find the archipelago’s only sandy beach, Cala delle Arene, which isn’t very large but is comfortable and romantic, making it a popular destination for visitors. If you’re looking for more than just comfort, but also the beauty of the seabed and the surrounding wilderness, you can also swim at Cala Matano, Cala del Pigno, Cala Roselle, Cala del Bue Marino, Cala del Tramonto… .
You can stay in the San Domino village, the island’s only inhabited center, which also offers restaurants, shops, and a fascinating “Diomedean Islands Nighttime Trail,” a lit walkway leading to a panoramic viewpoint.
But San Domino is above all the island of caves. There are so many of them! The Violet Cave, the Moray Eel Cave, the Sea Ox Cave, the Swallow Cave, the Salt Cave… To best admire them, the ideal is a boat trip or a scuba dive with the supervision of professional diving guides.
Enjoying the end of summer at San Nicola
San Nicola is mostly home to municipal offices and a few B&Bs. It’s not easy to find accommodations there at this time of year, so you better base yourself in San Domino and then reach the island by boat.
The first thing that will strike you is the beautiful castle perched on the sandstone promontory, close to the pier’s beach (Castello beach, in fact). The other beach is Marinella, located on the opposite side of the island and more easily reachable by boat than on foot! Diving here offers unique spectacles, as the waters are already protected by the Tremiti Islands Reserve .
As the oldest town in the archipelago, San Nicola boasts interesting monuments: the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare, built in 1045 by the Benedictines and still decorated with valuable mosaics; the Abbey Cloister with its large well; and the Torrione del Cavaliere del Crocifisso (the Tower of the Knight of the Cross), a defensive bastion still bearing a medieval curse engraved on it: “He will break and crush anyone who crosses its threshold”. Worthy of a special mention is the Castle of Badiali, whose fortifications have now become panoramic viewpoints for tourists seeking photos and magnificent views.
Visit the other Tremiti Islands
The smaller Tremiti islands do not offer accommodations, as they are uninhabited. Therefore, they are exclusively destinations for excursions and trips that fill tourists’ vacation days.
Capraia is a landscape of rocks, pebbly beaches, and lush vegetation, occasionally dotted with interesting rock formations (the Architello), human-made architecture (the lighthouse, the statue of Saint Pio), and a few caves. Touring the island by boat is one of the most popular tours in the Tremiti Islands.
Pianosa is an island for scuba divers. The seabed is spectacular, allowing you to admire sponges, white bream, amberjack, brown meagre, octopus, red pandora, snapper, gilt-head bream, and lobster as they sinuously swirl in the blue, among multicolored algae and submerged rocks. There’s even a shipwreck, the Greek merchant ship Panojato, which sank here in the 1980s. The island is so flat that during strong winter storms, it gets often submerged, only to resurface as soon as the tide and waves lower a bit. Pianosa’s natural monument par excellence is a small internal pond, about 25 meters in diameter and almost 8 meters deep, which communicates directly with the sea via a siphon.
Cretaccio and La Vecchia are little more than rocks, located between the two larger islands. They’re fascinating to admire, especially from the sea, but offer nothing special to those who disembark, except for a wild and rugged nature. A constant reminder that not everything is man-made!
In short, you must come to the Tremiti Islands because…
September is one of the best months to visit these islands. After the crowds of August, the archipelago regains a quieter and more authentic atmosphere, ideal for those who want to relax and enjoy the sea without stress. Temperatures are still pleasant, the sun shines frequently, and the sea retains its summer warmth, making for perfect swimming, boat trips, and outdoor activities. It’s also the perfect time to discover the coves and caves, snorkel in the crystal-clear waters, and stroll among the scenic views of San Domino and San Nicola. With fewer tourists, it’s easier to enjoy nature, local flavors, and the beauty of the Tremiti Islands at a leisurely pace. September offers the perfect balance of summer, relaxation, and authenticity here on the “wild diamonds” of Puglia!
