Gattarella Family Resort Review

This was a press trip, but these are my own views. We stayed at Gattarella Family Resort for four nights in August 2026.

Looking for an honest Gattarella Family Resort review? We spent four nights at Gattarella Family Resort in Puglia as a family, and from the moment we arrived, they welcomed us with open arms. The place had an immediate warmth that made us feel less like guests checking into a large resort and more like a family being welcomed in.

Gattarella is family-owned, and you feel it right away. We were shown to our accommodation, settled in and then headed out to explore. The resort is set among pine trees and olive groves on Puglia's Gargano coast, with the Adriatic Sea just in front of you. It is a beautiful setting, but what stayed with me most was the hospitality and genuine family feel.

Over the next four days, our boys threw themselves into the kids' clubs and activities; we spent long stretches on the private beach, ate really good Italian food and joined an organised boat trip along the coast. By the end of the stay, I completely understood why families return to Gattarella year after year.

What makes Gattarella Family Resort different is that it has not simply added a kids' club and labelled itself family-friendly. The whole holiday has been designed with a parent's point of view in mind. Facilities include baby amenities, separate clubs for different ages, plenty for teenagers, family-friendly dining, and small practical touches that make each day easier.

In this Gattarella Family Resort review, I share what our stay was really like, including the accommodation, private beach, food, kids' clubs, baby facilities, activities, and what there is to do in Vieste and Gargano. If you are planning a family holiday in Puglia or looking for one of the best family resorts in Italy, this should give you a clear idea of whether Gattarella is right for your family.

Where is Gattarella Family Resort?

Gattarella Family Resort is close to Vieste in the Gargano area of Puglia, on Italy's Adriatic coast. The resort spreads across 15 hectares of pine groves and olive trees, with its own private beach directly in front of it.

One thing I loved about the location was that it felt peaceful and surrounded by nature, yet Vieste is only around 5km away. You can spend your days enjoying an easy family beach holiday and still head into a beautiful Italian seaside town when you want a change of scene. For families who want a holiday in Puglia without staying in a large built-up tourist area, the setting works particularly well.

Arriving at Gattarella: Our First Impressions

Our first impression was how personal the welcome felt. Gattarella is a sizeable family resort, but it never felt anonymous. The family-owned atmosphere comes through in the way the resort is run and in the number of little details designed to make parents' lives easier.

Once we had settled in, we started noticing those details everywhere. Each family is allocated its own beach umbrella for the full stay, fresh beach towels are provided every day, and children can wear different coloured wristbands depending on how much independence their parents are comfortable giving them.

That wristband system was such a simple idea, but as a parent I loved it. If you are travelling with children of different ages, you do not necessarily want the same rules for everyone. Older children can have a little more freedom while younger children stay more closely supervised.

It was one of the first signs that Gattarella had been planned by people who understand what family holidays are actually like.

Why Gattarella Family Resort Works So Well for Families

Gattarella's biggest strength is that it works for families at very different stages. A resort that is perfect for a toddler isn't always much fun for a teenager, but here there are separate spaces, clubs, and activities for babies right through to 17-year-olds.

Children can stay free up to age 16, and accommodation ranges from apartments to large luxury villas, so the resort can work for a family with one baby, siblings with a big age gap, two families travelling together, or a multi-generational holiday.

For us, the appeal was not one single facility. It was the combination of lots of practical touches that made the holiday feel easy while still feeling like we were properly in Italy.

Is Gattarella Family Resort Good for Babies and Toddlers?

If you are planning a family holiday in Italy with a baby or toddler, Gattarella is a particularly strong choice. Packing for small children can feel like moving house for a week, so I really appreciated how much equipment families can access on-site.

The resort offers a nursery for babies and toddlers aged three months to three years, plus covered children's areas, playgrounds, an outdoor adventure park, a Montessori-equipped space, and a rest area with fresh snacks. Families can also use up to two hours of complimentary nursery care each day.

The Baby Me Package for children aged 0 to 3 is one of the most useful family touches. It includes many of the bulky things you would otherwise need to bring from home.

The Gattarella Baby Me Package includes:

• Nappies

• Strollers

• Cots

• Highchairs

• Potties

• Bottle warmers

• Sterilisers

• Baby baths

There is also an infant buffet with salt-free food and organic purées, plus a baby feeding station stocked with HiPP organic purées and milk. If you have ever tried to fit bottles, nappies, a steriliser, and everything else a baby needs into your luggage, you will understand why this matters. For me, this is one of the clearest reasons Gattarella stands out among family resorts in Italy.

Gattarella Kids' Clubs: Something for Every Age

Captain Gattarella’s Kids Club is huge compared with many family resorts we have stayed at, and I really liked how flexible it felt too. At its heart is a large indoor playground with a fun pirate theme, giving younger children plenty of space to play, explore and use their imagination, all with experienced staff on hand. Our boys loved having so much going on, and I liked that the children weren't simply grouped into one large kids' club. Five different clubs are split by age, so the activities feel much more relevant to the children taking part.

• Baby Cat is for ages 0 to 2 and includes two complimentary hours each day. It is open from 10 am until 6 pm, with evening hours from 8 pm until 10 pm.

• Mini Cat is for ages 3 to 5 and runs from 9.30 am to 6 pm, with a lunch option available for an additional charge.

• Gatta Kids is for ages 6 to 10 and also runs from 9.30 am until 6 pm, with an additional lunch option.

• Cat Young is for ages 11 to 13, with sessions from 9.30 am until 1 pm and 4 pm until 6.30 pm.

• Gatta Trend is for teenagers aged 14 to 17, with daytime sessions and evening options.

There are also evening dining activities for all ages, including a weekly Pizza Party by the Beach Bar.

Teen clubs can be difficult for resorts to get right. Older children do not want to feel as though they are being sent to a traditional kids' club, but they often still want somewhere to meet people. Gattarella's teen programme felt much more relaxed and gave older children space to socialise without parents hovering nearby.

Around 40 multilingual entertainers help run the clubs and activities in English, German and Italian. During our stay, you could see how well the children connected with the team.

Captain Gattarella and Gattaland

Another small detail my boys loved was Captain Gattarella. Every child receives a Captain Gattarella teddy bear on arrival, and he is the face of Gattaland, the resort's children's programme.

Their teddies came home with us and still sit on their beds. It is a tiny thing in the context of a whole holiday, but those personal touches are exactly what made Gattarella feel warm rather than corporate.

What is There to Do at Gattarella Family Resort?

There was always something going on during our stay, but the resort never felt frantic. We could spend part of the day joining activities, then disappear to the beach or pool for quieter family time.

Activities and facilities include:

• Private beach

• Semi-Olympic swimming pool

• Shallow children's pool

• Tennis

• Water sports

• Canoes

• Windsurfing

• Pedalos

• Yoga

• Pilates

• Creative workshops

• Sports tournaments

• Themed children's activities

• Magic classes

• Outdoor adventure area

• Evening entertainment

• Inflatable play park

We often saw the entertainment team rehearsing during the day before the main show after dinner. The children were encouraged to join in rather than simply sit and watch, which made the entertainment feel much more engaging for families.

What is the Beach Like at Gattarella?

The beach was a highlight of our stay. Gattarella has its own private beach with shallow, clean Adriatic water, which makes it particularly appealing if you are travelling with younger children.

The detail I loved most was having our own allocated beach umbrella for the whole stay. We didn't have to get up early to claim a spot or debate where to sit each day. We knew where our base was every morning, and they provided fresh towels daily.

It sounds simple, but it made our beach days noticeably easier. There is also the Bellavita Beach Club if you fancy a different setting during the day, it also had the most incredible sea food.

Food and Restaurants at Gattarella Family Resort

Food is a big part of any holiday in Italy, so I didn't want the family facilities to come at the expense of dining. Thankfully, that was not our experience at Gattarella.

We chose to eat à la carte most evenings at Trattoria Orcio. The food felt connected to Puglia, using local and seasonal ingredients from the surrounding Foggia area as well as the resort's own Natolio olive oil. They also offer a Friday Puglian buffet and a wood-fired pizza oven.

One of my favourite family-friendly details was inside the restaurant itself. The restaurant had colouring sheets at the tables and an enclosed play area with a play kitchen. The boys could play while we finished eating rather than one of us constantly having to leave the table.

There is also a buffet restaurant serving Italian and international dishes, plus the Beach Bar. Babies and toddlers are very well catered for too, with the infant buffet and baby feeding station.

Is There Anything for Parents?

Yes, and I think this is another reason Gattarella works so well. A good family holiday should not mean spending seven days standing beside a children's pool.

Because the boys had activities they genuinely wanted to do, we could enjoy a little time to ourselves without feeling that they were missing out. Usually, they were far too busy to notice us leaving.

Adults can use the wellness area, play tennis, try yoga or Pilates, use the semi-Olympic pool or simply head to the beach. That balance between family time and a little breathing space for parents made a real difference to our stay.

One afternoon, I had the most relaxing massage in a little treatment hut perched right on the edge of the cliff. With nothing but the sound of the sea below, it was easily one of the most peaceful moments of the whole stay and I highly recommend if you are visiting.

One of my favourite little rituals was ending the afternoon with an Aperol Spritz, sitting by the sea and watching the sun go down. Then we’d collect the boys from kids’ club, hear all about what they’d been up to, and head back together to get ready for the evening.

Evening Entertainment at Gattarella Family Resort

The evenings at Gattarella had such a lovely buzz about them. Around 6 pm, the inflatable park kicked off our evening. There were four different inflatables, each aimed at a different age group, and my boys absolutely loved them.

It was the perfect way for them to burn off some energy before dinner, but it also became one of the most social parts of the resort for us. We ended up chatting to lots of other parents while the children played, and there was always a really friendly atmosphere.

It was such a simple part of the day, but one we all looked forward to. By the time the boys had finished, they were ready for dinner, and we had usually made a few new friends along the way.

Every night at around 9.30 pm, there was live entertainment on the main stage, and it quickly became part of our evening routine.

Something different happened each night, from dance performances and pirate shows to family entertainment, and I loved how involved the children were rather than just sitting and watching. The atmosphere was always lively, with parents and children joining in and enjoying it together.

One evening, they also held a white party on the cliff next to the beach, which felt really special with the sea beside us and everyone dressed for the occasion.

My favourite evening was the children’s talent show. So many brave kids got up on stage to perform in front of everyone, and it was such a lovely event to watch. It really summed up the resort's family feel and how much effort the team puts into making the evenings fun for everyone.

Where to Stay at Gattarella Family Resort

Gattarella has a wide choice of family accommodation, which is useful because every family wants something different from a holiday. You can choose from apartments and villas through to larger luxury villas close to the sea.

Gattarella Residence offers self-catering villas and apartments approximately 300 metres from the Adriatic. You get more independence and your own space while still having access to the resort's beach, pools, restaurants, kids' clubs and activities.

The newer luxury villas sit between the sea and the pine forest, just metres from the water. Some sleep up to ten guests, making them particularly interesting for larger families, grandparents travelling with children and grandchildren, or two families holidaying together.

You effectively get the privacy and space of a villa holiday with the children's clubs, restaurants, beach and facilities of a family resort.

We stayed in a spacious, modern four-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, and a lounge. It had a huge outdoor space and was perfectly located near all the facilities.

Exploring Vieste and Gargano by boat

During our stay, we joined an organised boat excursion to see the sea caves and limestone cliffs along the Gargano coast. It was a lovely way to see this part of Italy.

During our stay at Gattarella Family Resort, we joined an organised family boat trip along the Gargano coast near Vieste, and it was a real highlight of our holiday in Puglia.

The boat took us past dramatic limestone cliffs, hidden coves and beautiful stretches of coastline before heading inside some of the famous sea caves. Seeing the Gargano coast from the water was such a special experience and gave us a completely different view of this part of southern Italy.

It worked really well with children too. The boys loved going inside the caves and exploring by boat, while we could sit back and take in the scenery. If you are visiting Puglia with children, I would definitely recommend adding a boat trip from the Gargano coast to your itinerary.

What I Loved Most About Gattarella Family Resort

By the end of our four-night stay, there were plenty of things I would happily come back for:

• The genuinely warm, family-owned atmosphere

• The private family beach

• Our own allocated beach umbrella

• Kids' clubs for every age from babies to teenagers

• The Baby Me Package

• Complimentary nursery time

• The infant buffet and baby feeding station

• Accommodation for families and groups of different sizes

• Large villas sleeping up to ten

• Activities for older children and teenagers

• Water sports including canoes, windsurfs and pedalos

• Organised excursions

• Evening entertainment

• Golf buggies for getting around the resort

• The evening inflatable play area

• Bellavita Beach Club

But the biggest selling point for me was that you do not have to choose a resort around one particular age. If you have several children, a big age gap or are planning a multi-generational family holiday in Italy, that matters enormously. Gattarella caters to toddlers, school-age children, and teenagers without making any one group feel like an afterthought.

Would I Return to Gattarella Family Resort?

Yes, 100. We cannot wait to return. I came home understanding why families return year after year.

For me, it was the warmth of the hospitality as much as the facilities. The private beach, age-specific kids' clubs, baby equipment, and activities all matter, but the family feel running through the resort made the stay memorable.

If I were helping a family plan a holiday to Italy and they needed somewhere that could work for a baby, an older child and a teenager, Gattarella is exactly the sort of resort I would want them to consider.

It makes life easier for parents without losing the reason you travelled to Italy in the first place. You still have the food, the landscape, the Adriatic coast and the feeling of being in Puglia, just with a lot of the usual family-holiday stress taken away.

Getting to Gattarella Family Resort From the UK

The nearest main airports are Bari and Naples, both approximately two and a half hours from Gattarella Family Resort. If you are travelling with very young children, I would plan your flight times carefully because of the onward transfer.

Once you arrive, though, the location feels wonderfully removed from the busier tourist areas. Gattarella is a seasonal resort and operates from around mid-June until the end of September.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gattarella Family Resort

Is Gattarella Family Resort good for families?

Yes. Gattarella is specifically designed around family holidays, with a private beach, separate kids' clubs for different age groups, baby facilities, family accommodation and activities for children and teenagers.

Is Gattarella Family Resort good for babies and toddlers?

Yes. There is a nursery for babies and toddlers aged from three months to three years, with up to two hours of complimentary nursery time each day. The Baby Me Package also provides useful equipment including cots, strollers, bottle warmers, sterilisers and baby baths.

Does Gattarella have a kids' club?

Yes. There are five age-specific clubs covering children from babies through to 17-year-olds: Baby Cat, Mini Cat, Gatta Kids, Cat Young and Gatta Trend.

Is Gattarella good for teenagers?

I think this is one of the resort's strengths. Teenagers aged 14 to 17 have their own Gatta Trend programme, while children aged 11 to 13 have Cat Young. The programmes give older children opportunities to meet other young people without making the experience feel like a traditional kids' club.

Do children stay free at Gattarella?

Children can stay free up to the age of 16, making Gattarella particularly appealing for larger families and families travelling with older children.

What accommodation is available at Gattarella Family Resort?

Gattarella offers a mix of apartments, villas and larger luxury villas. Some accommodation can sleep up to ten guests, making it suitable for large and multi-generational families as well as smaller family groups.

Does Gattarella Family Resort have a private beach?

Yes. The resort has its own private beach with shallow water. Families are allocated their own beach umbrella for the duration of their stay and fresh towels are provided daily.

Where in Italy is Gattarella Family Resort?

Gattarella is near Vieste in the Gargano area of Puglia, on Italy's Adriatic coast.

Which airport is best for Gattarella Family Resort?

Bari and Naples are the main airport options, with both approximately two and a half hours from the resort.

When does Gattarella Family Resort open?

Gattarella operates seasonally, from around mid-June until the end of September.

Planning a Family Holiday to Gattarella

If Gattarella sounds like the sort of family holiday in Italy you have been looking for, I can help you plan your stay.

I specialise in luxury family holidays and can help you choose the accommodation that best suits your family, the best time to travel, and how Gattarella compares with other family resorts in Puglia and across Italy.

I have stayed at Gattarella myself, so you can ask me the practical questions that are difficult to answer from a hotel website.

Get in touch with The Family Holiday Collection to start planning your family holiday to Gattarella Family Resort.

Contact

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