Hacienda San Jorge

Designed by Canarian painter Facundo Fierro, Hacienda San Jorge has a distinctly local character rather than the anonymous look of a standard beach hotel. Typical Canarian design runs through the resort, with gardens, terraces and the Atlantic setting doing much of the talking.

The arrangement suits divers who like a proper base rather than a room with nowhere to put themselves. You have an apartment, a kitchen and outdoor space, plus a large seawater swimming pool and direct access to Los Cancajos Beach. The hotel's website is available in English, German and Spanish, which is useful when you are sorting out the practical details before arrival.

There is enough here for a couple to settle in for several days, while family apartments give a little more room to spread out. The mood is easy-going and self-contained: swim, eat, sit outside, or make coffee and leave the day alone.

You stay in Breña Baja, on the east coast of La Palma, at Los Cancajos. The beach is directly accessible from the resort, so getting to the water does not require a shuttle, a timetable or a heroic trek in flip-flops.

Los Cancajos Beach is the immediate anchor, while Bajamar Beach is about 1.4 miles away on foot. Santa Cruz de La Palma Beach lies about 2.4 miles away on foot, and the capital itself is close enough to bring more choice when you fancy leaving the resort behind.

A few local restaurants are nearby, including El Lagar and Pizzería Restaurante Casablanca, both within roughly 0.05 miles. Tiuna is about 0.5 miles away. La Palma Airport is about 2 miles from the hotel, and a bus stop sits about 0.1 miles away, making the location particularly straightforward when you are travelling with dive luggage or collecting a hire car.

These are apartments, so the useful question is not simply where you sleep but how much living space you want around the bed. Every apartment has a kitchen or kitchenette, a balcony or terrace, a private bathroom and a sitting area with a sofa. After a full day outside, that matters: you can sit down properly, make a drink and stop treating the edge of the bed as a dining table.

The kitchen setup includes a fridge, microwave, toaster, kettle, coffee machine and kitchenware. It gives you the option of keeping cold drinks and simple provisions close by, rather than going out every time hunger arrives on schedule. A drying rack is available for clothes, which is practical after a day at the beach or in the pool; it is not a substitute for a dedicated diving facility.

For two, an apartment with a sea view makes the most of the setting. If you are travelling as a small family or want separate sleeping space, the two-bedroom superior apartment accommodates up to four people. Apartments with two single beds suit friends travelling together, while the sofa bed provides extra sleeping space in selected layouts. Satellite television, WiFi and a wardrobe keep the rest of the evening uncomplicated.

The main restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as a buffet, with sea views accompanying the meal. Its cooking is local in style, built around the flavours of the island rather than a long list of international promises. Vegetarian choices are available too, which removes one small piece of admin from the evening.

There is one cocktail terrace for drinks with the Atlantic in front of you. At the pool bar, you can order tapas and snacks when a full meal feels like overkill but a post-dive appetite is refusing to negotiate.

The kitchen in your apartment gives you another route through the day. Keep breakfast simple, prepare something light, or use it for the snacks that somehow become essential once you have spent hours in the water. The hotel also has an on-site coffee house, so you are not limited to formal meals when all you want is caffeine and a chair.

The large seawater swimming pool is the obvious place to wind down without committing to another excursion. Pool and beach towels are available, and the sun terrace, garden and beach give you several ways to spend an afternoon without moving very far. That is often enough activity after a demanding day in the water.

For a more deliberate recovery, the wellness facilities include a sauna, a hammam and massages. The fitness centre is fully equipped for keeping up a routine, although the sensible order of operations is probably pool first, gym later. You can also hire bicycles, go canoeing or use the hotel as a base for hiking around La Palma.

A tour desk and car-hire service make it easier to turn a non-diving day into an island day. The black-sand beaches are part of the local landscape, and the nearby coast gives you a reason to explore beyond the resort when sitting still has finally stopped working.

Check-in runs from 16:00 to midnight, with check-out from 07:00 to 12:00. You need to show photo identification and a credit card on arrival, and the hotel needs your expected arrival time in advance. The minimum age for check-in is 18.

La Palma Airport is about 2 miles away, roughly a three-minute drive. The hotel also sits about 0.1 miles from a bus stop. Car hire is available, and private parking is possible on site with a reservation. WiFi is free throughout the hotel, and the reception desk operates around the clock.

Children of any age are welcome. A cot can be requested for infants, subject to the accommodation option, while extra beds are not available. Pets are not allowed, and cash is accepted as a payment method. A lift, a safety deposit box and a small on-site minimarket cover a few of the less glamorous but genuinely useful details.