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Tremiti Islands is an archipelago of the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano Peninsula, just 12 km from Rodi Garganico. They islands are: San Nicola, San Domino, Caprara or Capperaia, and the small islands of Cretaccio and Pianosa.
They are also known as the pearls of the Apulian Adriatic Sea and are now an important tourist attraction, due to the clear waters surrounding them. The islands are also known as Diomedee islands. According to a legends Diomedes landed on their shores after the Trojan War.
Diomedes is a hero in Greek mythology, mostly known for his participation in the Trojan War. He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. Diomedes was considered by the Greeks the strongest and the bravest in battle. He participated in the Trojan War and after razing the city to the ground, he returned home. On his return, however, he discovered the adultery of his wife and fled with his fleet to the West. During a storm, his ships landed on the shore of Tremiti islands, and named them with his own name. He lived a long life but there is no clear record as to how he died. Some claims that he died in a duel with his brother and was buried on the islands where now stands the Abbey. Legend has it that, on his death, the albatrosses got together and sang a song (their normal call).
Due to their calcareous nature, the group of islands was probably formed after breaking away from a strip of land. It was probably due to telluric movements that occurred during the formation of the islands that Tacitus named them "Tremerum" (subject to tremors). According to another theory the islands were called by the Romans “Tremiti” to indicate the islands as three mountains rising from the sea.
San Domino is the biggest of the Tremiti Islands although it has a surface of only 0.81 sq.miles. It is also the best organized from the touristic point of view. It is the only island where there is a wide selection of accommodation alternatives. San Domino has many grottos and is covered by a vegetation emitting a scent of pines and orange blossom that is worth the name given to San Domino: "the green pearl of the Adriatic Sea". Plants in full bloom are a very common and characteristic peculiarity of the pine-wood situated in the south-western part of the island where it is possible to admire myrtles, geraniums and prickly pears. San Domino is also the kingdom of cicadas and birds such as the Diomedeas which produce a peculiar moan at night. The legend says that the Diomedeas are the soldiers of Homer's hero Diomede who were transformed into birds by Venus and forced to watch over the islands that had been chosen as the home of the warrior. In addition to its nature, the island also has an ancient history (as the numerous remains found confirm). San Domino has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium B.C. and was subsequently visited by the Greeks and Romans. In the year 1000 it was chosen as a hermitage by the...

The island showing the most ancient traces of human presence is that of S. Domino. At the centre of the plateau in the district of Prato Don Michele, there are the remains of an ancient Neolithic village (VII Millennium B.C.), characterised by stamped, cut and lapped pottery. Three ancient and medieval shipwrecks have been found which lie off the Western (Punta del Vapore) and Southern (Punta del Diavolo) coastline of the island of S. Domino. The island of S. Nicola shows traces of a protohistoric settlement dating back to the I Millennium B.C. and to the beginning of our times. There are holes for the posts of probable Iron Age (IX-VII century B.C.) huts...

There are a lot of tourist attractions. The splendid Cala delle Arene, Cala degli Inglesi, Cala Matano, present on S. Domino, can easily be reached on foot to spend whole days in the sun bathing in crystal clear variously coloured water. It is possible to get away from the most crowded areas and reach the remaining splendid bays that surround islands with small craft. It is also possible to admire the beauty of the coastal formations like rocks (Scoglio dell'Elefante), isolated crags (I Pagliai) and natural arches (l'Architiello). Then there are the mysterious caves: Grotta delle Viole with its vertically rocks, Grotta delle Rondinelle, Grotta del Sale, Grotta del Bue Marino. It is also possible for tourists to sail around the islands on the numerous ships belonging to a cooperative, which operate in the summer showing the beauty of the Tremiti coast. Amongst these, there is the pleasure boat Nautilus that has a glass bottom from which the beauty of the sea bottoms full of rich marine organisms like molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms and numerous species of fish can be admired. On S. Domino there are some Diving Centres where, amongst other things, it is possible book a guided tour both along the most interesting places around the Islands.