Arcipelago delle Tremiti
Four explorable islands in the heart of the Adriatic. Sea caves, hidden coves, sea beds straight out of a novel. The most beautiful way to discover them is from the water.
01 · Arcipelago
01 · Isola
The largest island of the archipelago and the only inhabited one. Aleppo pines reach the shore, coves glow emerald, and sea caves can only be reached by boat — the Grotta del Bue Marino, the Grotta delle Viole, the Architiello.
Don't miss
Time from harbour: 5 min from harbour
02 · Isola
The historic island. A medieval village perched on the cliff, the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare (11th c.) and the ruins of the Teutonic Knights' castle. A short hop from San Domino: tie up at the pier and walk up through the walls.
Don't miss
Time from harbour: 2 min from harbour
03 · Isola
Wild and silent. No houses, no roads: only rock, gulls and sea. The favourite stop for snorkellers and anyone looking for a quiet anchorage for lunch on board. Cliffs drop straight down and the sea bed plunges past 30 metres.
Don't miss
Time from harbour: 15 min from harbour
04 · Isola
Not really an island, but a giant ochre rock wedged between San Domino and San Nicola. It's the sailor's landmark: as you leave the harbour you spot it immediately, and as you return you know you're home when you round it.
Don't miss
Time from harbour: 3 min from harbour
Perché il gommone
The Tremiti Islands weren't made to be seen from land. The sea caves of San Domino only open to those arriving by sea. The hidden coves that never make it into guidebooks are tucked behind anonymous rocks. Capraia, wild and silent, reveals itself only at low throttle along its sheer walls.
With our Tremiti boat rental, no licence required, we hand you the keys to your own freedom: leave from San Domino or San Nicola, pick your own route, choose where to drop anchor for lunch on board, decide whether to spend two hours in front of a cave or run for the open sea. For Tremiti boat excursions you don't need experience: we'll show you the route, give you the chart, and answer the phone whenever you need.
Questions about the islands
What to see, how to move, where to stop. Answers to the questions we get most before setting out.
The Tremiti archipelago, in the Adriatic Sea off the Gargano coast, has five islands, four of which can be explored by boat: San Domino (the largest and only inhabited one), San Nicola (historic, home to the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare), Capraia (wild and perfect for snorkelling) and Cretaccio (an ochre rock between the two main islands). The fifth, Pianosa, is a full marine reserve and lies too far away to reach by boat.
No: Pianosa is too far to reach by boat and is a full marine reserve where navigation is restricted and landing is forbidden. The four islands you can explore by boat are San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia and Cretaccio — more than enough to fill a day at sea.
San Domino's sea caves can only be visited from the water. The best known are the Grotta del Bue Marino (the largest, with a striking opening), the Grotta delle Viole (named for the violet glow of the water), the Grotta delle Rondinelle, and the Architiello — a natural rock arch that has become the archipelago's symbol. By boat you can string them all into one circuit.
Yes — Tremiti has some of the clearest sea beds in the Adriatic. The top spots are Cala dei Turchi off Capraia (vertical walls and visibility up to 30 metres), Cala Matano and the Pagliai sea stacks at San Domino, and the hidden coves along the east side of San Nicola. With the boat you stop where you want, drop anchor, and dive in.
San Nicola is the historic island: the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare (11th century), the medieval village perched on the cliff, the ruins of the Teutonic Knights' castle. Just two minutes of sailing from San Domino: tie up at the pier, walk up through the walls, and in half an hour you have toured the historic heart of the archipelago.
Capraia and Cretaccio are uninhabited, with no piers or roads: you do not land, but you circle them by boat and anchor in their coves. Capraia (15 minutes from the harbour) is the snorkeller's dream; Cretaccio is the ochre rock between San Domino and San Nicola that serves as a landmark to anyone sailing.
