Once you’re atop of the hill you’ll see the town becoming you to wander its beautiful streets and keep in mind that Ferragudo has only been an official town since 1999, so lots of the rural atmosphere is still here.

Ferragudo is quite a popular destination for many locals because of its Sunday flea market, set along the river Arade. But for those settling in for a few days or who want to take in the typical atmosphere, there’s always the large cobbled square – Praca Rainha Dona Leonor – which is full of cafes and a general great place to just sit, relax and watch the people buzz around you.

Sitting on the Arade and offering views dirreclty across to Portimao, the local port can be an attraction in itself when you see big cruise liners moored across the river almost as big as the buildings. Ferragudo was once a rather thriving fishing village and some of that activity is still there especially when it comes to the riverfront walkway where several restaurants offer great seafood dishes.

One attraction that you shouldn’t miss is the Sao Jao de Arade fort  which you can see in its full glory from the beach nearest the village – Praia da Angrinha. The fort originates from the 15^th century and has benefit from later additions during the 18^th century.

Then you can head towards the lighthouse and you’ll see many villas overlooking the coast and in case you’re into walking, the furthest beach is the Praia dos Caneiros which has some great coffee, but a bit expensive.

Keep in mind some Algarve car rental services for your visit to Ferragudo.

Paderne features a 12^th century castle, and is one of the castles depicted on the national flag of the country. The castle isn’t exactly in the village, but it’s just a little way out of the village and is easily accessible by car. The castle is usually lit up at night and can be seen from the A22 motorway.

Taking a rental car on the road toward the castle will have you find a natural spring set in a square, a rather odd discovery but nonetheless interesting, and one cannot wonder how come Paderne is overlooked by tourists. The thing is that the spring is still sued today by people in the surrounding areas coming here to collect drinking water and there’s also a public laundry here with about 18 stone thoughts, scrubbing boards and tiled floors in a wooden enclosure. The river then continues on toward a park area.

Water is a great theme in the region, with locals from Paderne and nearby Alfontes battling each other every July in a competition of mini water sports, all of which ends with a massive barbecue and beer.

The village also features a still-intact Roman bridge, which was restored back in the 1860s and today it’s classified as an ancient monument.

There’s a church that sits at the village centre in a rather small square and it’s well worth the visit because it dates back to the 15^th century. The carvings on the inside stem from the 17^th-18^th century and are part of the priceless heritage of the church.

The village is composed of a number of narrow back streets, many of which are up a hill and some are one-way or no entry actually. The place has a solid selection of cafes, bars and restaurants that will satisfy many food craving.

Till this day the town retains much of its recent historical charm, featuring many cobbled streets, old houses and very colorful bougainvilleas. Nowadays the highest point of the town is dominated by the parish church.

The town of Porches is a great place to explore one of the characteristic features of Algarve house architecture, elaborate chimneys. In the past the chimney used to signal the status of the house owner and was also used as a type of signature of the builder.

You may not expect it from such a rather small town, but there are quite a few very good restaurants which focus on evening dining, so much so that booking in advance is advisable during the busy summer months. Obviously there are also many cafes and snack bars, as well as a small market.

The area around the town has been known for hundreds of years for its clay pits and in the past the place produced some very large terracotta pots which you can see dotting the townscape. These were used to store wine, water and olive oil. Unfortunately the industry declined during the 19^th century due to imports of cheaper and lighter pottery and china, however the town was put back on the map back in the 1060 by the Irish artist Patrick Swift. His revival of the ancient Algarve style of pottery decoration sparked renewed interest in pottery in the town and nowadays Porches pottery is well-known across the continent. Besides the traditionally decorated pieces, Moorish decorations are also used and everyday items featuring these designs are created too.

The closes beach is divided into two by a 100-meter long tunnel, which you should check the tides before going into.