Machico

Machico is one of my favourite places on the island.

It's on the coast, without steep inclines (praise!), and is a maze of old cobbled streets and open-air cafes - perfect for enjoying a beer in dappled shade. On one wall there's a plaque set about six feet off the ground. It marks the level that the waters rose up to in the big flood of 1950-something-or-other.

It's also been redeveloped, and has a spanky new boardwalk which gives it a very spacious, modern feel. I was imagining all the jogging you could do around that flat space, but was distracted by another cafe tempting passers-by with cold beer...