While anchored in Mantanchén bay we took a stroll in the nearby sleepy town of San Blas. Once a bustling port during 18th century, the dusty beach town is today a reminder of time past. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow famously describes the town in his poem The Bells of San Blas “The chapel that once looked down on the little seaport town. Has crumbled into the dust; And on oaken beams below the bells swing to and fro, and are green with mould and rust”. The sleepiness of San Blas actually becomes its charm, allowing the visitor to wander freely in a sort of whimsical time warp.
Such a time travel journey is inevitably exhausting and made us very hungry. We stopped inside the covered market (get there before 1pm) and had the best chile rellonos I’ve ever tasted at Fonda La Marina’s food stand. Her place was highly recommended by several San Blas natives who go here on their lunch breaks. It is as our Venezuelan friend would say a pick that is Bueno, bonito y barato (good, pretty and cheap). If you time travelling in San Blas makes you as hungry as us, stop by Marina’s stand in the back right hand side of the market.
