THE TREMITI ISLANDS

The Tremiti Islands are a fabulous concentration of natural beauties including crags and precipices, bays, rocks and stacks, pine groves and Mediterranean vegetation. They were treasured by Diomedes, the Greek hero who landed here and stayed until he died; legend has it that his companions, whom Venus turned into seabirds called diomedeas, let out a plaintive call on moonlit nights that sounds like a child crying. The Benedictine Abbey and the church of Santa Maria a Mare are not to be missed. This is a place for snorkelling and scuba diving, widely recognised as an intact marine reserve.