A relatively easy and highly recommended day-trip from Rodi di Gargano, Peschici, or Vieste is the beautiful Tremiti Islands. The archipelago composed of five islands: Saint Nicholas, Saint Domino, Caprara, Cretaccio and the farthest out, Pianosa, where it is not possible to land. In previous centuries the islands were known as the Diomedee Islands, a name derived from the myth of the death of Diomede, who returned from Troy and was buried on Saint Nicholas.

The landscape of Tremiti is similar to the Gargano, with geological formations and coastal outcroppings like those of the peninsula, with high reefs, faraglioni and bays. In fact, the Tremiti Islands are considered part of the Gargano National Park and because of the biological diversity and beauty, they were declared in 1989 as a Natural Marine Reserve. Ferries leave regularly from all three towns and takes one to one and a half hours of sailing. From the beaches of San Menaio and Calenella, it is often possible to see the shape of the islands and, at night, their lights. Saint Nicholas is the administrative, historical and religious centre of the Archipelago. In the past it was also used as the main defense against intruders, with its high walls and fortifications perched at the top of the island. The Abbey of Saint Mary at Sea was founded by the Benedictines of Montecassino in 1045. In the 13th century, the abbey was given to the Cistercensi of San Bernardo who widened it and fortified it with the aid of King Carlo D' Angiò. In the 18th century the abbey was suppressed and became the base of a penal colony. And, today it remains at the center of town as the Town Hall.

Saint Domino is the largest island and the primary destination for tourists, entirely covered with the beautiful coastal pines known as the Aleppo Pine. The world-famous Italian singer Lucio Dalla has a home and many of his songs, including Piazza Grande, La Casa in Riva al Mare, and Com’è Profondo il Mar, were born of the island rocks and the surrounding sea. The third island of Caprara is not inhabited and owes its name to the caper-bushes and to the presence of wild goats. Finally, one reaches the deserted Pianosa barely more than an out-cropping of rocks between the Cretaccio and Vecchia. But Pianosa has extraordinary environmental importance and it is related more to the Yugoslavian coastline than to the Italian. Bathing, boating, and fishing are virtually impossible here. In its surrounding waters exists a sanctuary of the marine nature where many species live in the center and south basin of the Adriatic Sea, free to reproduce with little threat from man. In addition to being abundant with sea-life, the waters around the islands also give up fragments of ceramics and Roman amphorae, resulting from the Roman ships that sailed its seas. Recently a galleon has been discovered and archeologists are now asking if it is an English ship sunk during an attack or, instead, the famous “Lombardo” of Garibaldi?

The Tremiti Islands appear as in a mythic spell. The extraordinary clarity and color of the waters allow visitors to observe through the depths some of the most colorful sponges, annelids, curly fans and marine stars. Also present are morays, lobsters, and a vast expanse of marine life. While the trip itself can be a bit pricey (about $50.00 per person), it is well worth the day spent out amongst some of the most captivating islands birthed of ancient myth.