Pugnochiuso Resort

Why it’s on the Edit

Pugnochiuso Resort is a holiday village of about 150 hectares on the Gargano, inside the National Park and next to the Foresta Umbra. It lies on the coast road between Vieste and Mattinata, on a slope that runs down to two contiguous bays: Pugnochiuso, which gives the resort its name, and Portopiatto.

The Marcegaglia group has owned it since 2001. It is a mixed place: part of it belongs to the group, with the Hotel del Faro, the Hotel degli Ulivi, the Villette Belvedere, the congress center and the shopping center La Piramide, and the rest are privately owned villas and residences.

It is listed as a family resort. It is controlled by a barrier at the entrance, so only people with a booking or an invitation can enter.

The rooms

There are three ways to sleep. The Hotel del Faro, listed at 4 stars in the Regione Puglia register, stands on the cliff above the sea.

Most rooms face the sea, with a balcony, and standard rooms measure about 22 m². The room types run from Standard through Comfort and Superior to the Luxury Junior Suites and Suites, which have a Jacuzzi, a sea view and first-row beach service.

The Hotel degli Ulivi, registered at 3 stars, has 180 rooms in a pine wood, close to the pools, the mini club, the amphitheater and the Piazzetta. Rooms are singles, doubles, triples, quads and family rooms made of two communicating doubles. Comfort rooms on the second floor have a small balcony.

The Villette Belvedere are apart-hotel units: a studio for two of about 35 m² or a two-room unit for four of about 50 m², with a kitchenette and a veranda.

Eating and drinking

Hotel del Faro serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as a buffet with a view of the bay. It has its own pastry and bakery, and wine and mineral water come with meals. The Hotel degli Ulivi guests eat at the buffet restaurant Gli Ulivi in the Piazzetta.

The resort lists the beachfront restaurant La Baia and the restaurant La Piramide in the Piazzetta, as well as bars. Gluten-free dishes are served on request.

The setting

The setting is a promontory with sea on both sides. The Pugnochiuso beach is about 200 meters long, with a seabed of sand, gravel and pebbles, and is reachable only through the resort or by sea. Portopiatto is about 100 meters of gravel and sand, with access for guests only.

Pugnochiuso has a diving corner with canoes and pedal boats, and sea terraces carved in the cliff with umbrellas and loungers. Sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, snorkeling and diving are offered. Paths and walkways give access to guests with disabilities.

Inland there are five clay and three synthetic-grass tennis courts, all lit, with lessons for adults and children. Professional entertainers run a mini and junior club and evening shows. The resort also describes a two-day cycling route from the sea to the Foresta Umbra and Rodi Garganico.

Good to know

• The Pugnochiuso Card, paid on site, is compulsory from age 3 and covers the shuttle, entertainment, the mini club and Wi-Fi.
• Pets are accepted at the Hotel degli Ulivi and the Villette Belvedere for a nightly supplement: up to two small pets or one up to 15 kg, with a dedicated beach area and an off-leash area.
• Check-in at Hotel del Faro is from 4 p.m. and check-out by 10 a.m.
• Weddings can include a civil ceremony on site, since the resort is a municipal house of Vieste, and the scale runs from an intimate ceremony to hundreds of guests.
• Opening months are not confirmed here.
• Price band: 1 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

It suits families with children, groups who want sports and entertainment on site, and wedding parties that want ceremony, dinner and rooms inside one gate. Couples can pick the Hotel del Faro. Dog owners have two accommodation choices.

Look elsewhere for a small, quiet hotel. For a hotel in Vieste, see Hotel Seggio, and for another family resort, Gattarella Family Resort. The Gargano hub lists the rest.

Getting there

Pugnochiuso Resort is on the coast road between Vieste and Mattinata, on the Gargano. Bari is the nearer airport.

The resort has a car park near the gatehouse and a shuttle bus inside, and its roads limit car use. A bus from Foggia station runs only in July and August, and a taxi is the alternative.