This was our (my wife and I) second stay here. Paulo and Ann (the owners) truly make you feel like part of the family, the atmosphere is very informal, but you are looked after in every respect. On the resort side, it is a simple but comfortable setup with the family feel making it special and very welcoming. The food served is freshly prepared using fish caught that morning and is usually exceptional. It is on the diving side that this place excels with a concept of slow diving - i.e. that you are not rushed at any stage of the diving - a unique idea as far as my experience of diving on holiday is concerned. You meet at 9am, then drive to the boat (custom designed boat with lots of space and a sundeck up top), take an easy boat ride to the dive site, do a dive, then on surfacing you have a nice cup of hot tea on the sundeck for 30 mins, then an easy ride back! Its all about taking it easy.
Getting there is a different matter however! Ann makes it as easy as possible with getting tickets for you and giving directions but finding the right place to go in Palermo is not easy. Once you find the dock, you need to find the l'aliscafo (which is only marked with a banner 'Siremar', the company who runs the hydrofoil). The Siremar office is outside the actual dock on Via Francesco Crispi - don't listen to the Ustica Lines man who tells you he doesn't know about any other ferries!!
We stayed for 3 nights and dived for 2 days of our stay - and because we stayed right at the beginning of the season it was very quiet - which we like! I cannot recommend Profondo Blu enough - if I can help anyone please message me.
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Date of stay: May 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are a family of 6 (kids ages 18, 17, 15 & 13 yrs) on our 2nd diving holiday. We chose Ustica because of its reputation for clear waters and profusion & variety of fish and it didn't disappoint. The sea was azure with great visibility. We couldn't believe how many fish we saw (for the Med) - grouper, Jackfish, Moray eel, barracuda, pipefish, multicoloured wrasse and so many more. Different sized and shaped caves, canyons, walls - beautiful and interesting sites. We booked 8 dives over 4 days and, although we experienced unseasonably windy weather, Profundo Blu chose dive sites that were appropriately sheltered. The boat was well organised, the diving kit was of good quality and well looked after and the whole operation was professionally managed and supervised. The dives were well briefed/debriefed but, most importantly, were relaxed and enjoyed by us all.
Paulo and Ann were fabulous hosts. The accommodation was basic but the apartments were clean and comfortable. We had one two room apartment and one one room apartment with sun terraces.
The routine was : Breakfast at 8am, you meet again at 9 to drive 10 mins to the harbour then transfer to the dive boat. We motored to the dive site, dived, relaxed afterwards and returned to harbour about 11.30am - noon. Drive back to Resort, lunch at 12.30pm, then relax (siesta, sunbathe on terrace). Meet at 3.00, drive to harbour, transfer to boat to do 2nd dive of the day, returning to harbour about 5.30-6pm, then back to resort. Dinner at 8pm. In Paulo's words : " Eat, sleep, dive, repeat ...!"
The food was sublime - fresh, local ingredients cooked the Sicilian way - plenty of fish, fruit and vegetables from Angelou (the gardener next door). Although we had a 3 course lunch and 4 course dinner, the food was very healthy and delicious so we didn't feel too guilty Aperitifs (Prosecco), wine with dinner and digestifs (grappa, Limoncello) all slipped down very easily.
Please note the comments a previous reviewer made about the transfer from Palermo to Ustica. We also used Siremar which runs a hydrofoil. Make sure you know the times of the boats and are clear where you pick them up from as Palermo is a busy commercial port and the departure point is not easy to find - just a 'gang plank' that they wheel out when the boat pulls in (about 5 mins before departure time). Ann bought our tickets for us which we picked up from the boat when it arrived but the ticket office is outside the port gates so you'll need time to find your way around. In spite of everyone telling us otherwise, the left luggage was not open on the Sunday when we travelled. We wheeled our suitcases to nearby 'Cafe Bristol' (just across the main road by the port gates) which serves fantastic pizzas and the best patisserie in Palermo.
Unfortunately time did not allow us much opportunity for exploration around the island. However, the little main town was very attractive with some steep, winding back streets with a fab ice cream/granita shop and little bars. You can hire electric bikes and mopeds to explore around the island. There are no sandy beaches so it can be tricky getting down to the sea.
This was a great start to our Sicilian trip and Paulo and Ann made us feel very welcome and at home. We highly recommend their resort and professional diving experience. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
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Date of stay: July 2014
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My boyfriend and I planned a trip to sicily for two weeks, and wanted to spend the first week diving in Ustica. I don't remember what attracted us initially to stay at Profondo Blu, and we had no idea what it would be like before arriving. Upon arriving in Ustica, we were greeted by Paolo, who took us back to the "hotel." I use this term lightly because it is more like a home stay since Paolo and Ann both live there as well. That being said, it is a seriously beautiful property. We did two dives a day which was really great. After every dive we sat and had tea on the boat to warm up (the water is quite cold). Additionally, the food at Profondo Blu is AMAZING. Let me tell you, I LOVE food and you really won't find better food throughout sicily. Paolo has a passion for cooking and will happily accomodate any dietary restrictions you may have. I'm a vegetarian and I had 4 course meals every day. Anyway, I can't say enough good things about this place. Just stay here. You'll have the best time!
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Date of stay: May 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had an amazing time with Ann and Paolo in 2008 super happy to see 10 yrs later they are still being incredible hosts and teaching people to scuba in this magical spot. The island is interesting to explore and the local restaurants awesome. The highlight of our trip were the dinners with Ann and Paulo drinking their house wines and grappa, and eating the freshest of fish. Quite an amazing trip.
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Date of stay: August 2018Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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I stayed here in October and unfortunately only got 2 dives in due to windy weather ( caution this can lead to all ferries in and out being cancelled too!)
Ann and Paolo were excellent hosts and their resort home is lovely ( yes out of town but not a lot to miss really, a very quiet place on a small black volcanic rock!) I had a fabulous apartment to myself with kitchen, very comfortable and clean with a sun terrace. Lovely and quiet at night.
The best thing about the diving was the viz, SO BLUE and clear with lots of caves and grottoes. There were not many fish (compared to Australia) but I think there are more on the other side at Doctors Rock etc nice shrimps and nudibranches and saw 1 barracuda.
The boat is e excellent and well run with good storage and a toilet! The captain was efficient and professional as were the dive masters.
Overall a great experience, relaxed, great cooking ( lots of fish) and nice and social with all divers eating outside together. ( bring mossie repellant!)
Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: October 2016Trip type: Traveled solo
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We did our OWD course with Profondo Blu in Ustica. They were a very professional company to deal with both before we arrived and while we were there. The family of two adults and two kids 12 & 15 years all agreed that it was a great experience to do our dive course all together. It's tough with lessons in the morning and diving in the afternoon for first three days and than two dives a day for next 2 days. It's hard work and quite intense but with Profondo's professional tuition and experience we all got there in the end and are now certified divers. Alex our dive master was a great tutor making this very intensive course fun for us all. It's no walk in the park and takes a lot of commitment from all to get through it. His professionalism and expert tuition gave us great reassurance once we reached open water which is on day one !!! Our first dive we had 3 instructors to 4 novice divers as the first dive was hardest. Than after that we had 2 instructors with us at all times. As a parent this gave me great confidence that our family was safe at all times while we learned all our new skills. I would highly recommend this holiday for a family with teens Alex was fun with great English but was firm and professional. We all had to study each day and that was hard but gave us all something to talk about over evening meals in Usticas little town centre which had lots of restaurants to chose from. We chose not to stay in the dive company's own resort property which is lovely but is out of town and we wanted flexibility to stay and eat in the little village itself. We did eat up in Profondu one of the nights the experience and food was great and we has a fantastic night with the dive masters and all the other divers. It would be worth it if you have only adults as it was a 4 course meal with all wine n aperitifs included in the price of €35 per head. But the kids who really only would eat two courses max and evidentially no alcohol and only juice and water on offer was the same price. So a big big thanks to Alex and not forgetting Albi our second instructor who took great care of us all. We would love to come back to do more diving with you. Many thanks all from the new Padi Irish divers xx
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Traveled with family
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My 14year old son and I spent Sunday to Friday in Late October at Profondo Blu for a late-season dive trip.
Pros: - Paolo and Anne are brilliant and very chilled hosts, and the resort as well as the island and the boat are made for diving. As a bonus if you're lucky, you'll meet Claudio - the pilot. Probably the nicest man on earth - I think - he doesn't speak a word of English ! - You can keep your gear on the boat, which saves the 2xday schlepp of all the gear back and forth. - Food: excellent, local and home cooked - Accommodation has everything a diver needs - Dive service is excellent, with great local knowledge, and seemingly a large range of dives available for all skill levels (we were there for some beginner dives) - Very cute bar area with honour bar in an ice cream van (you have to see it to understand), and a fantastic selection of Belgian and other beers. - Open eating area allows for great communal eating / socialising experience - Our apartment had an efficiency unit in it; nice - but I struggle to see what one would use it for ! - Overall great value for the service, food, company, dives, accommodation and the chance to dive in late October without flying hours and hours from the UK.
Cons: - The resort is c. 30 min walk from the sleepy town, we rented e-bikes to see the rest of the island, scooters also available. You could probably hike the island is a couple of hours. If you like to feel 'in the middle of it', this is a bit out of the way (Once you hang out in the town for a while, you realise you're not actually missing a lot !) - We were there in Oct. (end of season) so restaurant choices limited (we only ate in the resort), but meals are home-cooked, and they can cater for preference. Cost of the meals is a little high, but includes prosecco, wine and lemoncelo/grappa after. All in all worth it, though - Wifi only available in the common area
This island and resort is pretty much only for divers, and there isn't a whole lot to do otherwise on the island, which is great if that's what you're there for. The daily schedule is pretty much the same: Eat, sleep, dive repeat !
Note you may have to overnight in Palermo in or out of Ustica, because of the times the ferries run. Also be aware that you may be advised to leave the island early (as we were) in case of inclement weather, as the ferries become unpredictable. If you're diving and flying, that probably doesn't disrupt your plans too much since your last day is a non-dive day.
Would I go back, and would I recommend it? 100% !
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Date of stay: October 2015
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent an amazing week in Ustica with Profondo Blu. The owner (Ann and Paolo) are very nice, cheerful, friendly and professional when it comes to diving and italian fine food. I really recommend this place, the dives are absolutely beautiful, the boat is comfortable, the resort and the food are great.
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Date of stay: August 2014
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A week with Ann, Paolo, Mami & the team at Profondo Blu was unforgettable. Relaxed, charming, gracious and hospitable. While I normally don't like resorts this felt like a home-stay. Excellent food & a very slick and well-organised dive operation.
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Date of stay: August 2014
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are a family of 5 with a16-years old girl and 14-years old twin boys. We are all advanced divers and travellers, but we fell in love with Profondo Blu from the our first day in Ustica. Upon arriving to Ustica island, we were greeted by Ann and Paolo, and they took us to the hotel. We had one two room apartment with sun terrace with a spectacular sea view and mountains view. The rooms were clean and comfortable, but we spent most of time outdoors as there's so much to do in Ustica. Paolo and Ann and charming Mami (Ann's mother) made us feel at home every minute of our stay. The food was healthy and delicious- cooked the Sicilian way: a lot of fish, vegetables and fruit - never to forget the lemon ice-cream made by Mami! The diving was amazing : we saw pipefish, schools of barracudas, Moray eel, Jackfish, Sea Hares, Cuttlefish and Octopus and a lot of various nudibranches. We strongly recommend the resort and dive center Profondo Blu for divers looking for unforgettable experience. One week wasn't enough and hopefully we'll return to Ustica next summer.
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Date of stay: July 2014
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LOCATION
ItalySicilyIslands of SicilyUstica
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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