Villaggio Gargano

We had a great week and stayed in a fantastic deluxe villa, spacious and somewhat tucked away, which suited our family with young kids. The children's entertainment and evening shows were both great. The mini market on site had plenty of fresh food, which I think is brought in daily, and prices weren't much higher than regular supermarkets, perhaps even the opposite. There's a free shuttle to and from Vieste, though we preferred driving ourselves so we wouldn't have to watch the return schedule. We'll definitely be back.

Our two wonderful weeks are over, and Gargano was a real discovery for us. The resort is right by the beach, just across the road from the sea. Everyone was kind and helpful, from reception and the beach team to the lifeguard and bar staff. The entertainment was well run and never intrusive, and we especially enjoyed joining the activities with the kids. We loved the whole team: Domenico, Stefano, Nicolas, Elena, Michele, Giulia, and especially sweet Rebecca 😬. Excellent rating!

The team deserves credit for keeping the activities fun without making them a nuisance. They entertain children from morning till night on the beach and by the pool, then put on evening shows, with water aerobics and games for adults too. Paolo, who leads the group, is a real talent. The setting is tucked among the pines, with attractive terraced homes and detached villas. There's a large pool with a big hydromassage area, and the private beach is across the road, with a bar. The beach is quiet and well kept, with working showers and everything in good order. Staff are kind, polite, friendly, and helpful. You'll also find a poolside bar, ping-pong tables, a tennis court, a decent restaurant, a well-stocked market, and coin-operated laundry. Families and adults alike should enjoy it, and organized trips can take you to other beaches or the islands.

The complex and beach are very well maintained, and beach gear is included with an assigned spot, although Villagio guests are placed in the back rows. We found the price reasonable for what you get, and booking through Booking.com worked out well. Early to mid-September seemed like a good, affordable time, at €70 a night for two people. Mid-September has the last market of the year, when goods are cheaper than elsewhere and locals come in large numbers. A wine festival follows a week later, where you buy a glass and can get as many refills as you like. Fresh fish was inexpensive, including scampi at €15/kg, sea bream at €8/kg, and tuna steak at €25/kg. We grilled each evening at the village using our own camping gas grill. There are several things to keep in mind. The air conditioner was noisy, the entrance door squeaked, Wi-Fi across the complex was very poor and kept dropping out, and loud party music played by the pool from 8:30 to 10 pm. We only got internet reliably by tethering through my provider's roaming. Breakfast was very poor and cost €12 per person, the worst we had on our trip to Italy. Coffee came from a cheap machine, cold cuts were cheap, the rolls were tiny at 5x2 cm, juice was supermarket juice, and the yogurt was generic. Taste is subjective, so it may suit someone else. We preferred breakfast at the hotel's beach bar, where everything was perfect. Reception staff were very friendly and spoke good English, and one woman spoke excellent German. The shuttle ran to and from town several times a day, and the driver would drop you at the village entrance if you had done a big market shop. Fresh towels cost €5, final cleaning was €30, and pool caps were required at €2. Mosquito repellent is essential. The sea is so shallow you can almost walk across to the island, about 150 meters away. There are only Italian TV channels. We had an IPTV box with Magenta TV. Parking is in front of the Villagio. Mattresses are very hard and only the bare essentials are provided, so it feels like camping and you need to bring everything. There are also pleasant dance evenings by the pool, and if you join in, the music from the Villagio terrace stops being bothersome. If you forget a book, you can take one for free from the lobby, which is a great idea.