Aside from being a city and a parish, Albufeira county is made up of four other parishes: those of Ferreiras, Guia, Olhos d’Água and Paderne:

Ferreiras

Guia

Olhos d'Água

Paderne

Ferreiras

Ferreiras is a hamlet 5 km to the north of Albufeira and was once occupied by the Romans. It was originally known as “Lagoas” (small lagoons) due to the formation of ponds in the rainy seasons. The name Ferreiras, by which it is known today, probably comes from the surname of an important family who lived in this locality in the mid 19th Century. There is a windmill at Almeijoafras, one of the last in the area, and water wheels, threshing floors and wine presses can also be found.

Guia

The parish of Guia is 6Km to the west of Albufeira, and also survives from Roman times. In ancient times it was known as Alfontes, which means “ there by the springs”, but the origin of this is difficult to determine. However, traditional legend has it that where the chapel of Our Lady of Guia was erected, the Virgin Mary appeared to the local population. If this should be the case, then the name has some religious background.

Principal points of interest are the Parish Church and the chapels of Our Lady of Guia and St. Luís, where visitors can admire hand painted tiles and statuary, in the Baroque style, dating from the 17th and early 18th century. The religious feast days for Our Lady of Guia and St. Luís are in September.

These days Guia is famous all over the country for its “Guia Chicken”(Frango da Guia) , and annually, in August, the great “Feast of the Charcoal Grilled Chicken” is celebrated. The picturesque coastline of the region led to the construction of numerous holiday complexes, and on the border of the municipality with neighbouring Silves is the splendid Salgados golf course.

Olhos d'Água

Olhos d’Agua is the last of the four parishes, and is 6Km to the east of Albufeira. A charming, small fishing village, it gained great historical note from the beginning of the 18th Century as it played an important part in the guarding and defence of Albufeira.

It’s name derived from the fresh water springs, which emerge from the sea and its sands. Due to the sudden “boom” in tourism in the 1970’s and 80’s, the parish has changed its economic structure and become one of the principal tourist zones in the borough of Albufeira. Its principal points of interest are the Medronheira Torre (Tower) and the Olheiros (sources of springs of fresh water). Various hotel complexes, holiday villages and a magnificent golf course are set In the Pine Forests of the borough and in Açoteias.

Paderne

Paderne is 12 Km from Albufeira and set in the craggy, hilly interior of the Algarve. Poised on a range, named “Paderna”, this parish was conquered in 1189 by King D. Sancho I, but the Christian influence did not last long. A few years later, in 1191, a celebrated and much veneered Caliph re-conquered the area for the Moors. It was only in 1248 that Paderne again came under Christian rule. The feast day for Our Lady of Hope, Patron Saint of Paderne, is in October.

Nowadays Paderne town is the centre of the Parish, whose main activity is agriculture. Its principal historic monuments are Paderne Castle, with the Quarteira river flowing around it, the Parish Church, the chapels of Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz (Our Lady at the foot of the Cross), and Our Lady of Assumption (testament to the Baroque style), the water mill and the Castle Bridge. For those who appreciate nature, there are many beautiful walks to view the local flora and fauna down by the Quarteira River, and to refresh themselves at the Paderne Font (Spring).