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.

According to a statement released by the Lagos Town hall, the elevation of Lagos to city status is considered one of the most significant moments in local history because it was a clear recognition of the importance that the port town garnered.

This action led to the headquarters for the governors of the Kingdom of the Algarve to get set up in the city, as a result making it one of the most important locations in the history of the country. The upgrade to city status is also considered to have been crucial in Lagos being the place where the first ships sailed on the voyages of discovery, which in turn opened Europe up to the rest of the world and everything that those brought with them.

Starting with the 24^th of January the Lagos Town Hall is organizing a variety of cultural activities, which aim to promote the local cultural heritage as well as attract some tourists in the winter low-season.

On the 24^th of January the tourist guides and other professionals from the tourism sector will take part in a day-long seminar meant to refresh their knowledge in relation to Lagos’ cultural and archaeological heritage so that they can then better pass on this information onto their visitors.

The activity will be held in Portuguese and is free for tourism professionals  for those who registered to attend until the 21^st of January.

Also on the 24^th a book entitled “Legado do Conde de Ferreira no Algarve” – The Legacy of Count Ferreira in the Algarve – will be launched at the Cultural Centre at 4:30PM.

On the 25^th of January, guide Jose Antonio Martins will be carrying out a free guided tour of the historic centre of Lagos, an activity open to the general public which will take place between 10AM and 1PM.