The Isole Tremiti — San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia, and Pianosa — float 22km off the Gargano coast in the Adriatic, surrounded by a marine reserve established in 1989. The diving here is extraordinary for the Adriatic: visibility regularly exceeds 30 meters, the seabed drops from shallow Posidonia meadows to 40-meter walls covered in sponges and gorgonians, and underwater caves pierce the limestone islands like Swiss cheese. The signature dive: visiting the Statua di Padre Pio — a 3-meter bronze sculpture of the saint placed on the seabed at 14 meters in 1998, now colonized by marine life, his arms outstretched in the blue water. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are regular visitors. Puglia guide → · Gargano →
Plan my Tremiti trip →Statua di Padre Pio (14m): The underwater bronze statue of the saint on a sandy bottom. Fish school around his outstretched arms. The approach is an easy dive suitable for Open Water certified divers. Grotta delle Viole (Cave of Violets, San Domino): An above-water cave accessible by boat with an underwater entrance for divers — the light entering through the underwater opening creates violet-blue illumination on the walls. Snorkelers can enter from the surface. Secca di Punta Secca (San Domino): Wall dive dropping from 8m to 35m — gorgonian fans, groupers, moray eels. Architiello di San Domino: A natural rock arch with a swim-through at 15m. Capraia Island: The uninhabited island has pristine dive sites — vertical walls, caves, and a resident population of barracuda.
Dive centers: Tremiti Diving Center (San Domino — the main operator), Marlin Tremiti. Single dive: €40-55. Discovery dive (beginners): €60-70. Night dive: €60. Snorkeling: excellent from shore on San Domino — rent mask and fins at the harbor (€10). Getting there: ferries from Vieste (50min, €20-25 return), Termoli (1h, €20), Foggia (helicopter, summer only, €40-60 — the coolest arrival in Italian tourism). Stay on San Domino: Hotel Kyrie (€90-140), Hotel Gabbiano (€70-120). Limited options — book ahead in summer. Season: diving May-October. Best visibility: June-September. Combine with: Gargano (Vieste, Foresta Umbra), Vieste (ferry port), Puglia coast.