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Tremiti Island

Things to do on the Tremiti Islands

Apart from the boat trip – of course! – the islands offer several activities and attractions to spend your holiday relaxing and in harmony with nature. Here are some suggestions, not a real tourist guide, just some helpful tips and suggestions.

S. Domino

Once you have disembarked from the Aquarius, we suggest you go on foot to one of the inlets of S. Domino, the greenest and wildest of the islands. Some advice: always take trainers and rubber shoes for the water, so you can enjoy the island in complete safety. There are in fact few beaches – namely Cala delle Arene near the port, and Cala Matana – that can be reached on foot from the village; the path that starts from the belvedere.

After a swim you might like to take a walk round the island, through the Aleppo pinewoods, admiring the inlets from a different point of view, from the land. We suggest you take the S. Domino panoramic path or follow the road towards the S. Domino lighthouse (one of the most enchanting places on the island!) via the Cala degli Inglesi, the Cala dei Benedettini, the Grotta delle Rondinelle, Punta Secca, the Appicco, the Grotta del Bue Marino, and the Ripa dei Falconi, until you reach the lighthouse. The other route is along the Cantina Sperimentale road via the Grotta del Sale and the Grotta delle Viole; having passed Punta di Ponente and the Grotta delle Murene you will re-join the road to the lighthouse.

S. Nicola

The Tremiti islands are not only beautiful because of their crystal clear seas and unspoilt nature, but also because they are rich with historical monuments. The island of S. Nicola is a beautiful, exquisitely beautiful, open-air museum. We suggest you walk up following the walls, taking time now and again to admire the view through the openings in the fortification.

Once in the centre of the village, you should go up the steps leading to the Abbey.

The interior of the church is a true marvel: from its mosaic floor to the central nave, undoubtedly the most impressive part of the church. Looking up, you will also see the wooden polyptich on the main altar, a masterpiece of gilded carving, and the wooden cross with its particular shape, typical of Greek/Byzantine iconography, that it is said was carried here by the sea. And, lastly, the wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and child, S. Maria a Mare, whose deep complexions also reveal Greek/Byzantine influence.

The San Nicola archipelago was also a prison during the Fascist period, where even the future president of the republic, Sandro Pertini was once detained.