Nick Stark takes a delicious detour into an historic former Royal Navy stronghold
IF, LIKE ME, you are a fan of Patrick O’Brien’s/Master and Commander series, the superb 20-novel saga chronicling the life and adventures of Jack Aubrey and Steven Maturin in the service of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, then the port of Mahon in Menorca needs no introduction.
I arrived here on Wednesday, August 11th after a 32- hour sail from the west coast of Sardinia aboard my friend’s 28 foot Bristol Channel Cutter. We had been in Sardinia a week, experiencing everything from the modest Italian family resort of Porto Aranci to the ultra-chic, megayacht (and megabucks) harbor of Porto Cervo. We had spent a couple of nights anchoring in deserted coves, enjoying morning swims in warm, crystal clear water with nary another boat in sight, en route to Alghero, a charming fortified town from where we set off across the Mediterranean to Mahon, our port of entry to Spain.
The passage itself was uneventful, we saw barely another boat and had hardly any wind, forcing us to motor until we pulled into Mahon around 4am and dropped anchor in a wonderfully sheltered cove just across from the main inlet which forms Port Mahon.
Tapas and pinchos
This is one of the longest natural harbors in the world and home to the British Mediterranean fleet for more than a century. Allegedly the birthplace of an oil, egg and vinegar/lemon juice- based condiment then known as Mahon- aise, but now known the world over as Mayonnaise. Food for thought…
Mahon itself is all about the old town, full of charming alleyways and plazas in the shadow of the ramparts and fortifications which the British, French and Spanish built over the years to maintain control of this vital strategic spot. These days the
vibe is less royal navy and more tapas and pinchos. But the houses, mostly built in a genteel Mediterranean style replete with carving arches and wrought iron balconies, set in narrow streets and cobble- stoned alleys make it easy to close your eyes and imagine British navy men taking an evening stroll in their frock coats and waistcoats.
I enjoyed my three days here immensely, thanks mainly to the astonishing local food scene. The language, like the culture, is a mix of Spanish and Catalan, and the food is similar to what you’ll find in Barcelona. Although the harbor front is jammed with enticing restaurants serving tapas, local seafood, paella and the like, if you venture up the hill into the old town your curiosity – and your appetite – will be richly rewarded. I began my evening at the Mercado de Pescados, a food court boasting one eye popping and mouthwatering dish after another. Traditional delights like bocarones (fried anchovies) croquettas (croquettes stuffed bechamel sauce and, among other things, camembert cheese or jamon iberico) and abondigas con tomate (meatballs in a tomato sauce) rested cheek-by- jowl with razor clams, whitebait with olive and green peppers, small bowls of seafood paella, shot-sized glasses of ice cold gazpacho, and anchovy, and brie doused with salsa pedro Ximenez resting invitingly atop a slice of fresh local bread. The price for these delights? Between 2 and 3 euros each.
Interspersed with the food stalls were vendors selling dozens of local and regional wines, few of which I’d ever heard of, by the cup, glass or bottle, and of course a couple of local cerveza suppliers, selling a glass of caña (draft) for two euros or a bottle of the delicious Estrella Damn for 50 cents more.
Reluctantly leaving this cornucopia of delights, I wandered the nearby plazas and alleys, stopping here and there for a beer, a tapa or two, or a cup of coffee, depending on the time of day. During the day most of the places were empty save for a British or German family or two, but come nighttime, around 8.30pm, the place comes alive with local and vacationing Spaniards, filling the bars, cafes and restaurant in a lively and chatty scene that keeps going till the wee small hours.
I had other destinations in store so I left reluctantly Mahon (this time by plane) en route to Estapona in Andalusia…where hopefully more memories, and good food, lay in store.
