Hotel Nereida

Hotel Nereida is a straightforward base for a diving holiday in L'Estartit, with the useful bits close at hand rather than hidden behind grand claims. You have an outdoor pool, a terrace, air-conditioned indoor spaces and balconies attached to the rooms, so the day can move from the water to a drink without requiring an expedition.

The hotel suits divers travelling as a couple, with family, or simply with a preference for having food and a pool on site. Children of any age are welcome, and the hotel also has a playground, a children's pool and a children's menu. The hotel's website is available in English, Catalan and Spanish; that tells you which guests the property is set up to reach, rather than proving that the hotel team speaks all three languages.

You are in L'Estartit, Spain, on Avda. Grècia 61. L'Estartit beach is about 0.2 miles away, while the centre of town is roughly 0.3 miles from the hotel. That puts the seafront and local restaurants within an easy walk, without making the hotel a beachside address in the literal sense.

The Medes Islands Marine Reserve is about 0.7 miles away on foot, with the wider Montgrí and Illes Medes Nature Reserve around the town. A few nearby places to eat include Fighting Cocks, about 300 feet away, San Marino at roughly 550 feet, and Mr Taco at around 450 feet. For a change of scenery, Palau Solterra Museum and the Museum of the Mediterranean are both about 3.5 miles away.

Girona-Costa Brava Airport is about 30 miles away by road, usually around an hour's drive. Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport is a longer option, around 61 miles by road.

The room choice is mainly about how you want to use the space. A standard Double or Twin Room keeps things simple for one or two divers, while the pool-view version gives you the hotel pool as the outlook. For two adults wanting a little more room to settle in after a day outside, the suite is the natural step up.

Every room has a balcony, air conditioning, a private bathroom with shower or bath, a hairdryer, a wardrobe and a desk. There is also a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, free Wi-Fi and a safety deposit box available at an additional charge. The practical detail matters here: air conditioning helps when the Costa Brava has done its best to warm you through, and the balcony gives you somewhere to sit without having to dress for public areas.

The standard rooms use twin beds, with a sofa bed also available in the room facilities. The suite is designed for two adults. Cots can be requested for children aged from birth to three years, while extra beds are not available, so check the selected room carefully if your party includes a child.

The Nereida Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an air-conditioned indoor dining room with a terrace. The cooking is Mediterranean, built around local products and familiar regional dishes rather than a complicated performance: fresh fish, paella and fideuà are the names to look for when you want something that belongs to the coast and not just to a hotel buffet.

Breakfast is a buffet with a continental selection. Half-board covers buffet breakfast and dinner, while full-board adds a set-menu lunch; drinks are not included with lunch or dinner. Dinner can also be served from a set menu during some periods, so the exact arrangement is worth checking when you book.

There are three snack bars within the complex, along with the Sports Bar and the Cocteleria. The Sports Bar shows football and other sporting events and serves cocktails, beer and gin and tonics. The Cocteleria is the more obvious stop when the day's main achievement is remaining horizontal while somebody prepares a cocktail.

The outdoor pool is the main decompression tool: there is a Chill Out area with loungers and outdoor canopy beds, plus a separate children's zone. Pool towels, sun loungers and umbrellas are available, so you can choose the shade, the sun or the sensible middle ground that prevents tomorrow's wetsuit entry from becoming a personal negotiation with your shoulders.

For something less aquatic, the hotel has table tennis, billiards, a games room and board games. Billiards carries an additional charge, while table tennis is available as part of the hotel facilities. The terrace and shared lounge provide places to sit when the room feels too close and the bar feels too lively.

The hotel also offers access to a range of activities around L'Estartit, including cycling, hiking, tennis, golf, walking tours, bike tours and cultural visits. Water-based options include snorkelling, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and boat excursions. The spa adds massages and biopeluqueria treatments, including beauty and hair services, which gives couples something to do together when one of you has had enough of fins for the day.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out runs from 08:00 to 11:30. You need photo identification and a payment card at check-in. The front desk is open 24 hours, with luggage storage, lockers, a tour desk and concierge service available for the practical jobs that tend to appear between breakfast and dinner.

Private parking is available nearby and needs to be reserved. An airport shuttle service is listed, and the hotel also offers a shuttle service in its facilities. If you are arriving with dive bags or travelling around the Costa Brava, settle the transfer and parking arrangements with the hotel before setting off rather than hoping the details will sort themselves out on arrival.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Rooms and facilities include options for guests with reduced mobility, with wheelchair-accessible areas and adapted rooms. Pets are allowed, although charges may apply. Children of any age are welcome, and cots can be requested for younger children.