HOTELA M&UGA We stayed for three nights in the Basque Country town of Elorrio. The Town stands out for its unique medieval and modern heritage. In 1964, it was declared a Medieval Heritage Site. It is set in a green valley with the river Zumelegi running down its centre. It is a delightful walk through the streets of palaces and ancestral houses, built of stone and carved masonry from the 17th and 18th centuries. We chose to stay in the M&UGA Hotela. The hotel is a minute's w

EL BIGOTES Known as "The Fish Shack at Cala Mastella" or El Bigotes (The Moustache), this refers to the proprietor's whiskers!) El Bigotes still sits at his table for lunch whilst devouring a flagon of red wine. Unfortunately, he is 96 years old and does not come to the restaurant much anymore. There are two sittings, noon for fried fish (€25pp) or 2 pm for Bullit de Peix (€34pp). For the Bullit de Peix, everyone must have arrived at this stunning little bay for the 2 pm sit

ES REBOST DE CAN PRATS In September 2024, we returned to one of our favourite restaurants, serving traditional Ibicencan cuisine in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio). Located in a house built in the early years of the 20th century, it was one of the first shops in Sant Antoni. It sold food like chickens, eggs, cheeses, pebrassos, rabbits, vegetables, potatoes, and other products necessary for everyday life. When they opened in 1994, in the home of the current owners' gran

BODEGA BAR EL PIMPI This boisterous bar, right in the historical city centre, next to the Alcazaba, is one of Malaga's most famous. El Pimpi is mentioned in every imaginable tourist guide. Despite its reputation as a tourist hotspot, this restaurant has maintained the quality of its food for which it first became famous. It is well-priced. Bodegas Bar El Pimpi is an interesting maze-like building with a series of rooms with many different styles and cultural experiences. Phot

RESTAURANTE ES CUCÓ This restaurant is on the outskirts of Cala de Bou, moving inland. It is a great place to stop for a drink or for some affordable food. It is famous for its spit-roast chicken (with black pepper sauce) . Served with chips and salad. We started with a warm goat's cheese salad. It is a great, cheap meal. The chicken costs €11.50 without sauce and €14 with sauce.  Along with the chicken, you will find boquerones (anchovies in oil, garlic, and vinegar), calama

HOSTAL MARINO & M HOTEL We returned to Hostal Marino in September 2025, when it was finally joined by its new sister hotel, M Hotel . You can now check in at the new hotel by walking through the bar area of Hostal Marino and the new garden area to the M Hotel check-in desk. The new hotel has a restaurant, fitness centre, bar, and garden area, with access to the bar and restaurant areas at Hostal Marino. It is a place to relax after a long night/day! There is a new swimming p

Restaurant SALVADÓ This is an old-school, typical Ibicencan fish restaurant north of the island in Sant Carles de Peralta (San Carlos). Featuring fresh fish and rice dishes with a solid wine list and stunning sea views overlooking the little coves of Canal d'en Marti and Pou des Lleó Any lunch or evening meal at restaurant Salvadó is quintessentially Ibicencan and worth the trip. You start with an appetiser of high-quality bread, aioli, and olives. Mejillones picantes (spicy

HOSTAL RESTAURANTE FONDA POU DES LLEÓ This perfect little hostal is in a delightful country setting, about 50 meters from the coast and the beautiful coves of Pou des Lleó and Canal d'en Marti, where you can swim and sunbathe. There is an outside terrace and an indoor dining room. It has a lovely little swimming pool, so it's great for chilling out with friends and catching the sun. It's perfect if you have young children. This hostal is a few rooms above a traditional local

A Food experience across the border in Porto, Portugal by Jonathon Lipsin RESTAURANTE FLÔR DO BALDO Today, my friends took me here in Porto, Portugal, to a working man's restaurant seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is by a river with big trees not unlike those in California looming outside the windows of an industrial-style, huge dining room. There is a wood-fired oven and long banquet-type tables, all with dishes set upside down as is the custom here. True enough, cl