Piani di Clodia

We’d happily come back. The gardens were beautifully kept and the views were lovely, while the pool area was clean and well supervised. Our accommodation was lovely too. The on-site shop and bakery were great, and we had an excellent meal at Restaurant Marco Aurelio.

The kids were so taken with the evening animation that they didn’t want to leave, and we were able to relax while they stayed busy. We came with our three children, aged 8, 10 and 11, and our dog, and chose a pitch close to the lake. That turned out to be a great decision: we loved it, and our dog enjoyed the walks by the water. There’s plenty organized for sports and activities, including padel, tennis and things for children. The facilities felt on the level of a great All Inclusive hotel. We’re definitely coming back next year.

The spider problem was hard to ignore. There were spiders in the bathrooms, and webs spread across trees and streets between the pitches. At a five-star place, that felt outrageous. I also saw little effort from owners or staff to clear the animal waste along the way to the lake. The beach has no separate area for people with animals and those without. When a dog vomited into the lake where I’d planned to swim, I turned back and went to the pools. Some pools lacked atmosphere, and one had sand in it from a nearby mini restaurant. The views are lovely, but trees around the pitches and umbrellas by the pools hide much of them. The setting is great, and the markets have everything you need. The pizza from Piani di Clodia was tasteless to me, based on comparison with a pizza I ate in Lazise. The ice cream also tasted artificial and bland compared with what I’ve had at other five-star campsites. Three days was great, but a week felt like too much, mostly because of these issues.

We went at Easter, so the pools weren’t open yet, though they’re probably fun. The supermarket has what you need, and the city center isn’t far. Our camping bus pitch was spacious, with long grass and partial shade, and had steady electricity, water and wifi. The staff were friendly and willing to help. There’s a lot here, from sports and entertainment to bike hire, though the bus shuttle was confusing and unreliable. The beach is pretty, but it has rocks and shells rather than sand, so there’s nowhere to put down a blanket and no real option for sitting or lying by the water. The restaurant was okay, with nice pizza, but the menu was limited. Its dining room felt loud, cramped between tables, disorganized and uncomfortably brightly lit. Every night from 8pm, a disco stage played music for hours at a volume that made it impossible to hear anything else. That might be fun if you’re there for it, but it made sleeping difficult. The Family Bathroom we booked smelled of sweat, and its ventilation wasn’t working. We complained, but nobody fixed it as requested. If you like the typical all-inclusive setup, I’d recommend the place. We had a nice stay when we weren’t spending all our time at the campsite or using the entertainment.