The north is all sugarcane country, bordered by more of these marvellous white-sand beaches. Like the rest of the island, some are private, belonging to resorts, but a lot are public and very well kept by state employees, who rake the sand and shady spots under the trees on a daily basis. At weekends, a few of the more popular ones can get quite crowded, when whole families congregate with tables, chairs, cookers and ghetto blasters. It’s generally all good-natured, but if it’s too loud or busy, just move to the next beach, a short spin away.