Hotel Piccada

English and Italian are spoken by the hotel team, so you can sort out the practical details without resorting to underwater hand signals. Hotel Piccada suits divers who want a straightforward base in Palau, with the coast, ferry port and town close enough to reach on foot.

The mood is more useful than theatrical: come back from the sea, cool down in your air-conditioned room, have a drink at the bar and decide whether the evening calls for the hotel restaurant or a walk into town. Couples get the easier end of the arrangement, while family rooms and larger rooms make the address workable for small groups too.

You are in Palau, Italy, overlooking the Maddalena Archipelago and close to the coast. The hotel is around 300 metres from the beach, while Palau centre and the ferry port are about a five-minute walk away. That makes the location practical for a day on the islands, an evening meal in town or a quick escape from the building when your legs have had enough of sitting still.

Several beaches are within easy reach. Palau Vecchio Beach is about 0.6 miles away on foot, and Porto Faro Beach is around 0.8 miles away. The Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena is about 2.5 miles away, giving you a natural counterpoint to boat days and underwater hours.

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport is roughly 25 miles away by road. The hotel can arrange an airport shuttle, and car hire is available if you want to explore further across northern Sardinia.

The useful detail is what you notice when you return tired and salty: air conditioning for the warm Sardinian days, a fridge for cold water, and a private bathroom with a shower and hairdryer. Wi-Fi works throughout the hotel, while a desk and television cover the less glamorous parts of travel, such as checking tomorrow's meeting point or pretending to read the manual for a camera you have owned for six years.

For two, a double or twin room keeps things simple; the sea-view version gives you the reason to linger over the first coffee of the day. Balconies or terraces feature in many rooms, mostly with views towards the sea, so choose one if sitting outside with dry clothes and a drink matters to you.

Travelling as three or four calls for a room designed around the extra bed rather than an improvised arrangement. Triple rooms use a king-size bed and sofa bed, while the quadruple room adds a single bed. Family rooms are available, and children of any age are welcome; cots can be requested for younger children.

Breakfast comes as a buffet, with coffee, traditional sweet dishes and juices to get you moving before the day's plans. At Ristorante La Terrazza, the kitchen works in a Mediterranean style and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on the terrace, with sea views and a relaxed dress code. Meal times are set rather than open-ended: breakfast from 07:30, lunch from 12:30 to 14:30, and dinner from 19:30 to 22:00.

There is one hotel bar, Bar Piccada, a lobby bar focused on cocktails and drinks. It is the place for the post-dive debrief when nobody has the energy to walk further than the nearest chair. Half-board is available through a partner restaurant about 150 metres away, while room service operates during limited hours.

The outdoor pool gives you somewhere to stretch out without organising another excursion, with sun loungers and umbrellas around the water. The hotel also has a gym, and massages are available when your shoulders have started keeping their own logbook of the week's dives.

On the water, you can arrange boat excursions and hire equipment for snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding. Windsurfing is also available. On land, cycling and hiking offer a change of pace, while the tour desk can help organise boat trips, bike trips, hikes and sailing courses.

A boat tour of the La Maddalena Archipelago is the obvious non-diving day out. For a quieter afternoon, the beach offers golden sand, sun loungers, parasols and a beach bar. In other words, you can make the day as active or as horizontal as your knees require.

Arrival is handled from 15:00 to 22:00, with departure by 10:00. Reception operates from 08:00 to 21:00 during April, May and October, so tell the hotel when you expect to arrive, particularly if your journey runs late. Luggage storage and express check-in and check-out are available for the awkward gap between travel and room time.

Parking is available, subject to availability, and indoor and outdoor parking is available for bikes and motorbikes. An airport shuttle can be arranged on request from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. The hotel also offers car hire, laundry and dry-cleaning services, a reception safe and a concierge service.

The hotel welcomes pets without an additional charge. Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted. A lift, family rooms and facilities for disabled guests are available, and the hotel is non-smoking throughout.