In the Adriatic Sea, specifically 12 nautical miles off the northern coast of Gargano, are the Tremiti Islands, a marvelous archipelago with a rugged coastline and a wealth of caves, covering a total area of about 3 square kilometers. Referred to as the “pearls of the Adriatic” because of their enchanting and unspoiled beauty, the islands, which have become a marine nature reserve since 1989, are a destination for bathers attracted by the clarity of the waters and the wonderful landscape. Inhabited as early as the 4th-3rd centuries B.C., the islands were called Insulae Diomedeae in honor of the hero Diomedes, who, according to legend, threw into the sea three gigantic boulders brought with him from Troy that later mysteriously reemerged in the form of islands.

The archipelago, which has been awarded the Blue Flag several times for the quality of its bathing waters, is a small piece of paradise consisting of three main islands, thesmall island of Crepaccio, and a myriad of islets and reefs. The three main islands are: San Nicola, the smallest but historically the most important of the Tremiti, where among other things you can admire the Abbey of S. Maria a Mare with its stupendous mosaic pavement and imposing walls; San Domino, the largest island of the archipelago, covered with a pine forest that reaches down to the rocks overhanging the sea and considered the most beautiful from a landscape-naturalistic point of view; and Capraia, also known as Caprara or Capperaia because of the abundance of capers, which is uninhabited and wild.

As far as caves and coves are concerned, the following are worth mentioning: the Pietre di Fucile Cove, a wonderful pebble and gravel beach with crystal-clear water set against a backdrop of extraordinary beauty; the 70-meter-long Bue Marino Cave; and the Rondinelle Cave, so named because it is chosen by swallows for nesting.

This extraordinary nature sanctuary is ideal for lovers of the sea and tranquility.