I have some pictures at  http://www.dropbox.com/sh/f6ln0gamtpl98c6/AAAaakmBdOhr5ti0VgzTLHoxa?dl=0" rel="nofollow - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f6ln0gamtpl98c6/AAAaakmBdOhr5ti0VgzTLHoxa?dl=0

Click each picture to view full size and see ´caption´to the right.

There is a sub set of pictures in a folder called 'Ruins'. Abandoned farmhouses are all over the area. Some still have furniture inside, even clothing. I even tripped over a box of shotgun cartridges, which are now in the care of Paderne GNR.

If you are thinking of doing the same, a few words of wisdom!

There are a lot of variations to the paths. Some stretches require walking over sharp stones, so have thick soled footwear! The first sign at the village car park has been vandalised, so the easiest way to pick up the route I took is to walk back down past the cemetery and sports hall and bear left at the junction towards the Fonte de Paderne.

After that the route is signposted. If you see two red and yellow lines on a signpost crossed, that is not the way!

Beyond the bridge there is no longer an actual path. You can either double back and tke the obvious one up the hill towards the castle, or do what I did and follow your nose up a near vertical climb among loose and jagged rocks. Perhaps not the best idea when I think about it.

Take water etc as there is nothing on the way. The interior of the castle is not accessible to the public, but you can climb over the wall apparently.

The paths start at the Paderne football ground where the buses from Albufeira stop and where there is a large free car park. There are two or three places to eat and have a well earned beer or two quite close by.

There are downloadable but rather poor quality maps of the three routes at the Paderne parish council website

http://www.juntafreguesiapaderne.pt/desporto.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.juntafreguesiapaderne.pt/desporto.html