Yzabelle Bostyn
PRINCESS Leonor of Spain has made a surprise visit to the Costa del Sol where she visited a humble chiringuito.
Spain’s beloved Princess Leonor dined with six friends on the Costa del Sol recently, to the shock and amazement of the chiringuito owners.
They claim the reservation was made with no reference to the royals and were surprised when several bodyguards turned up alongside the young women.
El Saladero beach bar, found in the Caleta de Velez, first thought their guest was a politician.
But, according to manager Puri Molina, wait staff soon recognised the princess.
The royal visited the down to earth beach restaurant at midday last Thursday.
At first, she went unnoticed, donning a black baseball cap which she never took off.
Then, diners started to realise who the mysterious guest was and snapped pictures of the princess.
However, the Royal Household’s security detail made other guests delete the images, so no snapshots of the illustrious lunch have come to light.
According to Molina, the restaurant offers a wide variety of fish, seafood and salads, all sourced from the port of Caleta de Velez.
“I can’t tell you exactly what they ordered,” Molina told Sur newspaper, “but I’m sure it was the fresh fish and seafood of the day.”
Molina said the establishment was ‘proud’ to host the heiress to the throne, saying: “They were a group of friends, between 18 and 20 years old, they were relaxed and I hope they enjoyed the lunch.”
She continued: “It’s a pity that due to protocol issues we couldn’t take any photos with her, let’s see when we have another visit like this.”
The chiringuito boasts a ‘Solete’ in the Repsol Guide and is known for its grilled dishes.
A fleeting visit, the princess is believed to have rented a boat to spend a few hours sailing in Velez.
According to Sur, one of Leonor’s friends is from Torre del Mar and acted as a guide for the Princess of Asturias.
