Traffic is rarely the first thing you hear. It is a radio through an open window, a neighbour calling across a balcony, a song that drifts from one doorway to the next. Past the towns the sound softens into birdsong and surf, and the sea is never far.
The climate is tropical, with steady trade winds easing the heat, a drier stretch from November to April and a rainier one from May to October. Evenings are made for sitting outside and talking. A Local Friend keeps the plan loose, so a short walk can turn into an afternoon you did not schedule.
