Search results for

If you visit Lisbon, set aside time for a day at the beach. Cascais is just a 40-minute train ride from the city. In the late 1800s and early 1900s Portugal’s royal family made this once sleepy fishing village their summer home. Spend the morning under the shade of a beach umbrella and then explore the small city by foot. You’ll be able to smell the fresh catch being hauled up at known as the Praia dos Pescadores or Fishermen’s Beach. Above the harbor you’ll see a statue of a mermaid that is supposed to keep watch over Cascais’ fishermen until they return safely back to port. Make a stop in, Palacio de Conde de Castro Guimaraes, which has thousands of rare antiques on display. If you like boats, arrange a sailing with one of the yachts in the harbor.

Before I went to Belize, anyone I spoke with who had already been told me that I had to have a meal at Elvi’s Kitchen. What started out as a take-out burger window in 1974 eventually became a sit-down restaurant serving lovingly prepared Caribbean dishes such as conch soup and fritters, mojo de ajo, fried green plantains, and street corn. During high season you might have to wait in line to eat dinner at the restaurant, but most of the time, there isn’t much delay. Save room for dessert. Elvi’s Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

We strolled into town from our hotel (La Casa Que Canta) by walking down the hill and along Paseo Pescador, which connects Playa Madera and Playa Principal. There is no shortage of restauranteurs offering you the “best” fish tacos and “coldest” beers in town. Prices range around the same and you probably can’t make a mistake if you stick with beverages. Continue walking along the Paseo and you’ll encounter creative community service announcements, a copper sculpture vaguely reminiscent of the mermaid in Copenhagen, and this fisherman’s grove. Shaded in coconut palms, the colors, sounds, and smells of this unexpected stumble upon keep wanting to bring me back. If you find yourself in Zihua, this is a stroll worth doing.

In the past few years, Las Terrenas has become a popular bohemian style destination alternative for those you are not into all inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The European expat community has infused an international flavor into the local hotel, b&b, and dining scene. Las Terrenas is a bit over 2 hours by car from the capital Santo Domingo on the new highway. Caribe Tours bus terminal in Santo Domingo has frequent buses to town of Sanchez, and from there one takes a local mini bus to Las Terrenas. This way it can take up to 4 hours. Pueblo de los Pescadores (Fishermen’s Village) is a small area of charming restaurants and bars close to the beach. Years ago, this cluster of new establishments used to be a fishing village. There are still many fishermen who use the area as a base for daily fishing. At night the area is a great spot to try some of the local Dominican cuisine, and fusion restaurants. For a nice breakfast, stop by French-owned bakery El Pan de Antes (Plaza Kanesh on Calle Carmen ) in the center of town for delicious croissants, quiche, bread, and strong tasty Dominican coffee. A small, cozy, romantic bungalow style hotel to stay at is Casa Robinson, located at Calle E Prud’Homme 2, a few steps away from the ocean. The atmosphere of the hotel is wonderful along with great staff and service. At the end of the day, walk along the beach around sunset time and watch gorgeous colors come alive.

In recent years, one restaurant has set the bar for cool in Cabo San Lucas. Bar Esquina, the Bahia Hotel & Beach House’s on-site bar and grill, features a chic casbah-like design aesthetic, a menu built on Mexican and Mediterranean flavors, and a commitment to organic, locally and responsibly sourced ingredients you taste in every bite. The menu is ever-evolving, but there are standouts you can always expect to find. The tuna tartare is a tiered, artistic creation, featuring tempura and an avocado-yuzu mousse. The Caesar is the signature Bar Esquina salad, here wrapped in a long, flat crouton and served with poached egg and prosciutto. Entrée selections include a generous filet mignon with potatoes au gratin and the short-rib pizza with blue cheese and arugula.

Mariscos El Torito may be the most popular Los Cabos restaurant you’ve never heard of. The cavernous seafood spot is a favorite among locals, and it does appear as a lunch stop in some city tours. But by and large, it flies under the tourism radar. Seek it out and you’ll find heaping portions of affordably priced ceviche, stuffed clams, fish tacos, and pescado zarandeado, a pre-Columbian recipe of butterflied whole fish that’s grilled over holm-oak coals for a marvelously smoky flavor. The almejas especiales are a souped-up preparation of raw chocolate clams with octopus, fresh salsa, and more. You’ll spot families celebrating special occasions here, and it’s so kid-friendly there’s even a play area, complete with a miniature merry-go-round.

Do as the locals do and escape to the oasis-like lake of Santa María del Oro. Kick back in a hammock with a cold beer and chicharron de pescado (the delicious fried fish equivalent of pork rinds) or ceviche at any of the restaurants stilted up over the water, and watch the warm, beautiful water lap up along the grassy shores.

While much attention is paid to the Japanese and Italian influences on Los Cabos cuisine, one of the very best spots in town is an Argentine entry. The low-key, low-lit courtyard restaurant Chamuyo features a dozen or so tables, a long bar, and a traditional Argentine grill. The steak-house menu sends you on a culinary adventure through Buenos Aires dance halls and the verdant pampas. Meat-stuffed Argentine empanadas (markedly different from the Mexican variety) are served oven-baked or fried, and make excellent starters. For your main course, try chef Marcelo Romby’s 22-ounce beef ribs, which he slow-cooks for more than four hours. Pair it with a bottle of Baja red and, if you can, save room for some first-rate alfajor cookies.

A pioneer in locally, sustainably sourced ingredients, Peacock’s in Medano Beach is proof that responsible sourcing can lead to delicious results. Produce is grown locally at the restaurant’s own organic farm in nearby Pescadero, and chefs opt for noncommercial species of fish, sourcing from local fishermen instead. Only the beef is purchased outside the Baja Peninsula, and it comes from a Sonoran ranch that disdains both growth hormones and GMO corn feed. The menu takes inspiration from Europe as well as the Americas in dishes like a grilled octopus appetizer with grasshoppers, handmade fettuccini and tlayudas (an open-faced tortilla piled with toppings that’s a Oaxacan specialty), and filet mignon with a garlic-bacon sauce.

With almost 20 years at the helm of a dining room that’s jammed every afternoon, Gabriela Cámara at Contramar must be doing something right. For one, the seafood on offer—traditional, even homey recipes, impeccably prepared—is among the freshest available. Service is quick, yet warm and enjoyable. It brings in a well-dressed, deliberately coiffed crowd that loves table-hopping, seeing and being seen, and air-kissing; but most of all, they relish digging into house specialties like the fish carnitas, the legendary tuna tostadas, and the grilled pescado a la talla (ordered by weight, and served in a red adobo or a parsley rub). Some afternoons (especially Fridays) you can’t believe the waiters have actually squeezed one more person in, yet everyone is very glad they came. Desserts are especially recommended. Open for lunch only—which may explain the sense of urgency at the door.

True, you’re not likely to buy and take home any souvenirs from Arica’s Fish Market (Mercado de Pescado), but that shouldn’t deter you from taking a walk through this busy spot, especially with a camera in tow. Come early to see fishermen arrive with the daily catch, then stick around to see vendors weigh, fillet and package the fruits of the nearby sea.