Restaurante El Mosqui, Cabo de Palos
A 20-minute drive from San Javier along the spine of La Manga brings you to Cabo de Palos, a fishing village whose signature dish — caldero — has been perfected at El Mosqui for over four decades. This is the place to eat it: a saffron-stained, fish-stock-soaked rice that is simultaneously the most humble and most glorious thing on the Murcian coast.
What to Order
Caldero is cooked in a traditional iron cauldron with locally caught fish (typically dorada or mújol) and served in two courses: first the rice, then the fish alongside aioli. El Mosqui's version uses stock made from the day's catch and is cooked to order, so allow time.
Follow the rice with a dessert of paparajotes — lemon leaves dipped in a sweet batter, fried and dusted with cinnamon sugar. They are Murcia's most distinctive sweet and El Mosqui does them properly.
The Setting
The restaurant sits right on the Cabo de Palos waterfront, with views across the small fishing harbour to the 19th-century lighthouse. The terrace fills quickly on summer evenings, so book ahead or arrive before 2 pm for lunch.
Cabo de Palos itself is worth a wander after eating — the lighthouse headland is a protected marine reserve and one of the best shore-diving and snorkelling spots in Spain, with posidonia seagrass meadows just metres from the rocks.
More of San Javier
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore San Javier →
