The beach is boarded by a promenade with hotel restaurants and shops and a little market with interesting things, not only beach paraphernalia. As per usual we did not pick up a map so we just meandered around, trusting Ian’s homing instinct. We found ourselves in a very old part of town with fabulous building: low and very ornate frontage, some boasted some colourful tiles, other were more in the meringue style with loads of rococo details, solid carved wooden doors and intricate iron works, most of them in a desperate state of repair which was heartbreaking. Some are so bad that they are wrapped in netting to avoid falling plaster to arm anyone passing by. It is obviously a very poor neighbourhood, sofas and chairs outside the doors, washing hanging out of the balconies, mothers gossiping and watching the flocks of kids playing outside in the streets.