La Posada del Mar

If you like your diving base with a proper town attached, La Posada del Mar makes a convincing case. You stay in a 13th-century building at the foot of Denia Castle, looking across the Mediterranean and the port rather than at a car park or a row of identical balconies. The setting has history, working-harbour practicality and enough nearby life for the evening to avoid becoming a negotiation about what to watch on television.

The hotel has 25 rooms, with a shared lounge and a reception open around the clock. Air conditioning, soundproofed rooms and sea views give you the basics for recovering properly, while the gym, sauna and spa cover the days when your legs have already made their position clear. Couples may particularly appreciate the combination of a historic address, open views and restaurants just outside the door.

You are in Denia, Spain, at Puerto de Denia on Plaça Drassanes 2, beside the castle and the port. The town centre is about a five-minute walk away, so you can reach cafés, bars and restaurants without turning the evening into an expedition. Denia bus station is roughly 0.9 miles away, while Dénia railway station is about 0.4 miles from the hotel.

The sea is around 100 metres away, and the hotel has direct access towards it. Punta del Raset Beach is about 450 metres away, with Les Marines Beach around 0.8 miles from the door. If you prefer a change of scenery, the Montgó Nature Reserve is about 1 mile away and El Montgó itself around 2.8 miles away. The castle is close enough to make a useful landmark when you are finding your way back after dinner.

Every room has a sea view, which is the detail that matters most when you open the curtains with a coffee rather than an alarm clock. Choose a double room with a terrace or a twin room with a balcony if outdoor space is part of your holiday mathematics. The junior suites add room to sit, and the suites with terraces are the sensible choice when you want more space or are travelling as three rather than two.

The rooms are air-conditioned and soundproofed, with a minibar, safe, coffee maker, satellite or flat-screen television and free Wi-Fi. A desk gives you somewhere to deal with the small practicalities of travel, while the wardrobe, clothes rack and drying rack keep the room from becoming a controlled explosion of luggage. The private bathrooms have a bath, bathrobes, slippers, toiletries and a hairdryer.

For a couple, the terrace or balcony categories make the most of the sea-facing setting. For three guests, the terrace suite is the room to look at first, with a sofa bed available in one of the listed configurations. Cots can be requested for children aged up to two, while extra beds are not available, so the occupancy and sleeping arrangement deserve a proper check before booking rather than a hopeful glance at the photographs.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, with continental, full English or Irish, American, vegetarian and gluten-free choices, as well as breakfast to go. That gives you a useful range before a morning in the water, particularly if your idea of breakfast is more substantial than a heroic cup of coffee and a banana.

There is a restaurant at the hotel, and room service runs around the clock. Special diet menus can be requested, with vegetarian and gluten-free options covered in the hotel’s food offering. Wine, champagne and fruit are also available in the room-service food and drink selection.

For dinner, you are not confined to the building. Saona Denia, Ticino and Movida Denia are all within roughly 100 metres, while bars including Zensa Puerto S.L. and La Plaza are only a short walk away. In practical terms, you can eat at the hotel, take dinner to your room or step out into the port area without needing transport.

The post-dive recovery plan is straightforward: sauna first, perhaps a massage afterwards, then the sea view. The spa offers massages, relaxing treatments and beauty services, giving you somewhere to send tired shoulders while your kit-related thoughts slowly leave the building. This is a useful option for a couple when one person wants treatment and the other would rather sit down and remain horizontal.

The gym is open around the clock and combines cardio and strength equipment with functional training areas. It is there for maintaining a routine, stretching out after a day of sightseeing or proving that you still own muscles outside the ones used to carry a cylinder. You also have the shared television lounge when the sensible decision is to do very little.

The tour desk can arrange car or bicycle hire, which opens up the coastline and the Montgó area without requiring you to organise every detail before arrival. With the port, castle, beaches and town centre nearby, the hotel works for a non-diving day that involves a walk, a view and a meal rather than a timetable.

Check-in runs from 15:30 to midnight, and check-out from 06:30 to 12:00. You need to show photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to give your expected arrival time in advance. The minimum check-in age is 18. Cash is accepted as a payment method.

Private parking is available in a nearby garage, subject to availability and advance reservation. An airport shuttle service is available and should be arranged with the hotel. Free Wi-Fi covers the whole property, and luggage storage, concierge assistance, a tour desk and a lift are available. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are also offered.

Children of all ages are welcome. Children aged 12 and over are charged as adults, cots can be requested for children aged up to two, and no extra beds are available. Pets are not allowed. The property is non-smoking throughout and includes facilities for disabled guests, with upper floors accessible by lift and an adapted room available.