Discover Tremiti
Welcome! This space is dedicated to the Tremiti islands, just off the coast of Puglia in Southern Italy. Dive right in and let me show you the incredible adventures and beauties they have to offer!
Welcome! This space is dedicated to the Tremiti islands, just off the coast of Puglia in Southern Italy. Dive right in and let me show you the incredible adventures and beauties they have to offer!
The Tremiti islands are a marine reserve and part of the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. They are made up of 5 very diverse islands: San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia, Cretaccio, and Pianosa. read more
Hello there; my name is Vivien, and in April 2017 I took a leap of faith to come and live on the Tremiti islands.
I've known these islands since I was around 7 years old as my family owns flats there. It all started with my grandparents, Sabino and Pierina, who were insightful and saw the potential of these islands.
I am an academic, with a PhD in British literature; I’ve spent my life with my nose stuck inside books and am, essentially, used to university desk jobs. With the academic life being so precarious, in spring 2017 I reached the end of yet another contract. Now I’m not one for being idle, so I thought that rather than hang around fretting about joblessness, why not see if I could make something of the flats on the Tremiti islands?
So I listed the flats on AirBnB, one at a time, and it all took off so naturally. I had a whale of a time, meeting and greeting the most amazing variety of people, making friends, infecting the visitors with my love for the place, before I went off to the sea for the rest of the day. And then I stayed on for my first full island winter – and here I am.
Now, in my life I’ve lived in very different places, from Andria to Seville to Glasgow, and my moves were always met with interest by whoever I told; but never have the reactions been quite as surprised or shocked as when I announced I was living on these islands. It’s probably the most radical life choice I have made so far – and yet, it isn’t. Life is life, wherever you go.
Yes, it’s a small place, but it has variety – it has nature, sea, history, good food, land caves, sea grottos, world-class diving spots, wildlife, possibility to socialise and for solo-time, and overall the chance to live a healthy lifestyle.
Yes, if you live here all year round you might miss clothes shopping, or the theatre, or the cinema from time to time, but when you live in paradise and you want a break to go and do something different then you just hop on a ferry or on a helicopter and nip over to wherever, turn it into a little holiday, and return to your paradise – and I’d say that’s a pretty good deal.
Yes, it’s an archipelago of 400+ residents of which only about 100 live here all year round scattered between the two inhabited islands, but it’s a tight community where you feel shielded and protected. I won’t pretend it’s perfect – it’s not some kind of Mediterranean Pleasantville – but when one turns on the television and hears about what happens in the outside world, one does feel grateful and safe here, almost estranged from all those distortions.
Yes, sometimes when there’s a storm the internet might go for a few days; efficiency is not what one is most often used to, and if your washing machine breaks down you can’t just go out and buy a new one because there are no shops for that, and maybe the only technician who can help is at a wedding somewhere on the mainland, but trust me: reshuffling our priorities isn’t such a bad thing. You learn to think of a plan B, C, and all the way down to Z. You learn to be resourceful, and that there is always a way for the world to keep spinning.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in set schemes, or weary of the same holiday destinations, come to Tremiti. When you come to here, you escape. Whether it’s from stress, memories, disappointments, city life, pollution, a desk job, over-urbanisation, petty formalities, the feeling of losing contact with nature and the changing of the seasons…Here you can re-learn all about yourself, re-align your thoughts, and feel what it’s like to sit back, relax, return to basics, and enjoy the essential pleasures of life.
The Tremiti islands are an Italian archipelago of 5 islands in the mid-Adriatic. They are the only islands of the region called Puglia, the ‘heel’ of the Italy boot.
Although the archipelago has 5 islands, only 2 are inhabited (San Domino, and San Nicola). The others (Cretaccio, Caprara, and Pianosa) are uninhabited and have no facilities whatsoever. On San Domino there are several hotels, B&Bs, AirBnBs, apartments to rent etc.; on San Nicola there are fewer services of the sort but it is still possible to find accommodation.
Yes: 3 on the island of San Domino, and 1 on San Nicola.
The islands are easily reached either by ferry from Termoli (other ports such as Vieste are also available in high season but are less frequent), or by helicopter from Foggia. Please note that if the weather is bad and the sea is rough, the ferry may not leave the port of Termoli. Even when the sea doesn’t look too rough, the port in Termoli unfortunately is not very deep and the risk is that the hull may scrape the bottom and damage the ship. In high season you can have 2 or 3 trips a day to and from the islands; in low season you generally have one a day. The boat companies are Tirrenia, and Navigazione Libera del Golfo. If you are in doubt about the weather and therefore the status of the trip, it is always a good idea to call the Coast Guard the day you are scheduled to depart (+39 0875706484) as they will be able to advise. On the other hand, the helicopter does at least 2 trips a day, and will leave whatever the weather except when the visibility is really bad – but that hardly ever happens, maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Alidaunia's website is here.
Bari and Pescara are the most convenient airports. Using public transport to reach Termoli or Foggia to catch your ferry or helicopter is pretty easy, as they are definitely not minor train stops. To book your train visit Trenitalia's website here.
It’s rare that the ferry is every fully-booked, but in July and August you may not want to risk it so yes, it may be wiser to book in advance. Go to www.tirrenia.it or www.navlib.it to book online or over the phone. When the season is lower you can just show up at the port of Termoli on the day. You must definitely pre-book the helicopter, and a while ahead I advisable too. In low season the helicopter they generally use has 6 seats, but they have a bigger one with 12 seats in high season – but the seating clearly is limited, so booking is absolutely necessary on www.alidaunia.it (the website is a little clunky but keep smiling and everything will be alright).
It can happen that the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse and the ferry won’t come at all, sometimes for days. My suggestion is to call the helicopter company IMMEDIATELY to see if they have room, as even with high winds or electric storms they are generally still operative.
Not to worry: you will find a motorboat waiting for you as soon as you get off the ferry, and in less than 3 minutes you will be on the other island. The islands are very close together – literally 300 metres between San Domino and San Nicola!
Generally July and August are the top months here on Tremiti. Remember the 15th August is a bank holiday in Italy: EVERYONE will be on holiday that week, so traffic can be a nightmare and the Tremiti islands can be crowded. Other than that, in April we have a bank holiday in Italy on the 25th April so that’s when tourism starts kicking off. Then May 1st and June 2nd are times when things start getting busy, again for more bank holidays.
It really depends on what kind of holiday you’re after. Definitely August if you’re looking for a busier kind of time; May/June and September on the other hand are still beautifully warm, yet not as crowded so it’s easy to find beaches and bays to be alone and enjoy peace and quiet. To be honest, the islands are beautiful all year round. It’s rare that the weather is really bad or extremely cold, and it’s often the case that people are able to have lunch outside without a coat in December.
No. Only residents can bring a car, and need to have a special permit anyway. If however you have proven medical conditions which require you to move by car then you can apply to the City Council for a permit. Do bear in mind however that access to the bays by car is not possible; many roads are not paved, and the way to the sea are often just a path in the pinewoods.
No. But unless you have problems walking then there really isn’t anything to worry about: San Domino, the largest island of the archipelago, is 3 kilometres long and just over 1 kilometre wide! there is literally nothing that cannot be reached on foot.
If you’re leaving for Tremiti by ferry from Termoli you can leave your car for a daily fee at the car park just close to the harbour where the ferries to the islands depart. If you’re leaving by helicopter from Foggia you can leave it for free right there at the heliport: there’s a secure parking space just outside the terminal building.
Honest? the Tremiti islands are not the easiest place if you have problems deambulating, because some paths can be impervious, steep, or not paved. However, there are ‘autonoleggi’, which are small bus services you can call during the day (though they won’t operate at night: it’s not exactly a taxi service) and they will take you wherever you require for a fee. You will always find them down at the port waiting for tourists to disembark the ship and they will take you wherever you need.
Yes! As of 2020, our island multitasker Salvatore, known to everyone as Fuffy, has opened a bike and e-bike rental service. Find him on Instagram as @fuffyebike or call him on +39 3408836502.
Yes: on the island of San Domino there is one small grocery store (Conad) which has all the essentials and it’s open all year round; it’s in Via Aldo Moro. You may find our Antonio with his itinerant greengrocer van, too. In the summer things get a bit busier, so there is also the Shop 88 in Via Giuseppe Garibaldi just behind the main square. and a pop-up fruit-and-veg shop. There is also a small grocery store on San Nicola, tucked away not too far behind the Bar Nazionale.
Not really, but I do recommend you bring A) comfortable shoes for walking around and getting to the bays (trust me, do not attempt Capri attire for Tremiti: it’ll end in tears); and B) jelly or diver shoes to go into the sea. The bays are rocky and the rocks can be jagged and sharp; plus there are sea urchins and mussels, and you do not want to be treading on them!
No, but there is an A&E (call 118 if you need an ambulance). They will help with any immediate first-aid assistance. If however you are badly injured and/or require specialised treatments, the emergency helicopter will come and pick you up in minutes, and take you to Foggia hospital. Please note that only the injured person can go on the helicopter: any accompanying person will have to take the next available helicopter (or ferry, depending on what is the most convenient option time-wise). There is a pharmacy on San Domino, and they have an excellent service whereby if you require anything medical which they don’t have in the store they will have it helicoptered in for you by the following morning.
Yes: there is an ATM at the Post Office just by the church on San Domino. It is not a bank, but you can withdraw, top up your phone, and do basic transactions of the sort.
No. Some places have a water purifier which makes it possible to drink water straight from the tap (and also helps cut plastic waste). Tap water is fine to cook, make coffee/tea, brush your teeth etc., but unless there is a water purifier it is safer not to drink it straight.
No: nothing that could affect a holiday in any way. You may find the odd snake, but none are poisonous, nor would they attack; there are spiders but none are threatening for humans; the largest land animals you can find are wild goats and they are extremely shy. The seagulls will fly close past you if you happen to be walking near their nesting place, but they won’t do anything more harmful than that to let you know that you are not welcome. The appearances of jellyfish are very few and far between across the years, and in any case none of the species are life-threatening for humans, and at most will leave you with a red mark and a burning sensation. The sea around the islands is frequented by moray eels and barracudas, but you will NOT find them unless you are a diver and go out looking for them (and even then they will NOT attack).
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