Tremiti Islands

Tremiti Islands

A paradise between quiet and mystery

Not so far from the spur of Italy’s boot, in the middle of the Adriatic Sea, five little islands will capture your heart with their history, incredible landscapes, and beaches.

The tiny archipelago of the Tremiti Islands is part of the Gargano National Park (Northern Puglia, Italy), a pristine promontory that also includes the Foresta Umbra and the protected area of the Lakes Lesina and Varano.

This site is an important tourist attraction nowadays due to the clear and turquoise sea waters and its lush vegetation.

They look like an exotic destination, but they’re just 22 km far from mainland Puglia, easily reachable by boat.

The only Italian archipelago of the Adriatic Sea

This archipelago is composed of five little islands: San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia, Cretaccio and Pianosa.

The islands were used as a penal colony since the Iron Age passing by Romans with Emperor Augustus who had exiled his granddaughter, Julia the Younger, to the Tremiti on charges of adultery, until the Fascist Regime when Mussolini had hundreds of homosexuals deported to the internment camp of San Domino, fortunately, closed after one year in 1939.

San Domino and San Nicola part of Tremiti paradise

San Domino Island, surrounded by Aleppo pines woods, is the biggest one and the most developed, talking about tourism, with its facilities, services, and the only sandy beach of the archipelago.

It is worth have a boat tour around the island to visit its amazing caves: “Grotta delle Viole”, “Grotta delle Rondinelle” and “Grotta del Bue Marino”.

When the ferry docks at the harbor, the impressive San Nicola Island is there on the right with its fortified Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare, built by Benedictine monks in the 9th century.

This is the administrative center of the Tremiti Islands and is where the citizens reside.

This island takes the name from the monk Nicolò who’s buried here.

The fascinating legend says that every time someone tried to move his body off the island, a violent storm would break out, preventing navigation around the island.

Capraia, Cretaccio and Pianosa, three deserted Tremiti Islands

Capraia or Capperaia is uninhabited and covered by several kinds of herbs and flowers, including the caper bushes, that’s why this cute name.

Cretaccio is a large block of clay and it looks like a natural bridge to connect the main islands: San Domino and San Nicola.

Pianosa is a flat rock just 15 meters high and 20 km far away from the Archipelago, but still part of that.

The magic of islands

Generally, the islands all over the world are ever surrounded by a magical aura. Often they hide legends full of charm, and they’re a mix of quiet and fear.

If I have to describe the Tremiti Islands with three words, I’d say: turquoise, relax, and mystery.

These actually are three of the many feelings to get when you spend some of your time at the Tremiti.

Turquoise is the color of the water you’ll swim in when you’ll dive from the boat during your fantastic tour around the archipelago.

Relax is what you’re going to get from the silence of the Island and walking through the woods of San Domino.

The mystery is the feeling you’ll get strolling around the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare at the San Nicola Island.

No coincidence if artists choose places like these as their residences to get away from the chaos and worldliness.

The Tremiti Islands indeed were chosen by Lucio Dalla a very famous Italian singer and songwriter, who built his house in front of the sea surrounded by the wood of San Domino.

How to get to the Tremiti Islands

The most common way to get to the Tremiti Islands is by ferry from the ports of Vasto, Ortona, Termoli, Vieste, and Rodi Garganico.

We took the ferry from Vieste to the Islands and the journey took 2 hours, then we had a boat tour with Tonino all around the archipelago.

If you want a faster way to get there, Alidaunia offers flights from Foggia and Vieste to the San domino Heliport, but of course, they’re more expensive.

Cars are not allowed on the islands, so you have to leave your car at one of those ports.

While, if you’re traveling by train Termoli seems to be the easiest stop as there is a direct bus just outside the station that goes to the ferry.

There’re many companies in charge of the boat and guided tours on the Tremiti Islands, but consider contacting the tourist information point of Vieste by filling in the form below.

Once there the last September, we made a video blog with several embarrassing moments, watch it right here. ??

Get in touch

Connect directly with the managing authority of this place by the contact form

You find all the conversations you made via ImaginApulia, like comments and massages by contact form, on the Your Connections page.

Other connectivity options

Brindisi Lecce BARI Fasano Taranto Vieste Troia Foggia Conversano Castellana Grotte Monopoli Polignano a Mare BARI Mola di Bari Andria Gravina in Puglia Trani Barletta Fasano Alberobello Noci Locorotondo Cisternino Martina Franca Mottola Laterza Castellaneta Marina Taranto Vieste Peschici Rodi Garganico Monte Sant’Angelo Manfredonia San Giovanni Rotondo Lesina Margherita di Savoia Foggia Ostuni Ceglie Messapica Francavilla Fontana Brindisi Lecce Torre dell’Orso Porto Cesareo Otranto S. Cesarea Terme Gallipoli Ugento Santa Maria di Leuca Nardò Faeto Troia Bovino Sant’Agata di Puglia Lucera

Info Points nearby

Vieste

Info point City Centre
Piazza Kennedy
Tel. +39 0884 708806
info.vieste@viaggiareinpuglia.it

Rodi Garganico

Info point Municipality
Municipality | Piazza Giovanni XXIII
Tel. +39 0884 919432
info.rodigarganico@viaggiareinpuglia.it

Info point City Centre Summer Office
Piazza Rovelli
Tel. +39 0884 965576
info.rodigarganico@viaggiareinpuglia.it

Peschici

Via Magenta 3
Tel. +39 0884 964966
info.peschici@viaggiareinpuglia.it

Manfredonia

Info point City Centre
Piazza della Libertà, 1
Tel. +39 0884 581998
info.manfredonia@viaggiareinpuglia.it
prolocomf@libero.it

Info-Point | Via Magenta 3 | 71010 Peschici | Province of Foggia

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The tale of the Two Sisters


Traveling on the Apulian Adriatic coastline, in a few km from Lecce city, you’ll reach the marine area of Torre dell’Orso and the most famous Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

Are you curious to know something about that singular name?

Well, there is a nice and a bit sad tale behind the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle. This gives the location a huge air of mystery.

This marine area is very fascinating. Reachable walking through a little Mediterranean Maquis forest, under the cliffs there’s a sandy beach 800 meters long.

Slight white sand, clear turquoise seawater, warm enchanting sun, everything in the same stunning place.

But probably you’re still thinking about the tale, so, I’m going to tell the story.

The tale of the Sisters

« The tale says that once upon a time, two young sisters were living in the Salento area. They were very hard workers, and they had never seen the magnificence of the sea.

One day, to counteract the hot summer, they went toward the seaside for the first time. Well, they were so much fascinated by the amazing view they got there that the younger one dived from the cliff into the water. At that point, the eldest sister tried to save her, but it was too late.

They couldn’t get back to the shore. The Gods, looking at them: alone, desperate, and cute, decided to turn them into two beautiful rocky stacks in the middle of the sea.

A fisherman, while walking nearby, just saw two rocks rise from the sea. Since that day, the beach is known as Two Sisters Beach. »

The tale is very magical but a bit sad, and once there, it’s really hard to don’t get emotional.

Then, the clear seawater just completes the landscape.

Two Sisters Beach and Torre Dell’Orso

The Two Sisters Beach| ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | is located in the marine area of MelendugnoTorre dell’Orso. For the sake of completeness, we have to say that also this name has got a charming little story.

In this case, the name Torre dell’Orso, which literally means Bear Tower, derives from the sighting tower by the sea.

Then, on the cliff under the tower, there’s a rock shaped like a bear by the erosion.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

One day trip

If you want to get a fantastic and cool experience traveling on the Adriatic coastline, start your trip having a good breakfast in Lecce.

We advise you to ask for a pasticiotto and a caffè leccese: you’ll love them from here to the moon and back!

Then, drive from Lecce to Roca Vecchia village, where the amazing Poetry Cave | ita: Grotta della Poesia | awaits you for a nice dive.

After that, run towards the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | to get a relaxing swim into one of the most beautiful seas of Puglia.

In the end, reach Torre Sant’Andrea to admire the stunning view of The Sea Stacks of Sant’Andrea | ita: I Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea .

But if you have still time, don’t miss the weird landscape of the Bauxite Cave | ita: Cava di Bauxite | quite close to Otranto.

You can easily do this little itinerary on a one day trip. From the morning to the night on the southern Adriatic coastline of Puglia.

We did it and you find an article about our Road Trip in Salento on the blog!

Would you like to start your trip? Enjoy your One day trip to Salento!

Click on the map below to directly get the direction.

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