Castle of Paderne has both a bloody past and a truly rare and remarkable architecture. The most notable aspect is perhaps its building technique. Erected in the 12th century by the Almohad Caliphate, a Berber dinasty, its thick walls are built entirely of military “taipa“, a kind of archaic structural concrete that employed rammed chalk, limestone, gravel and soil as the primary components.

They were working on the reconstruction of the castle so we couldn’t go inside, but there is a lovely trail from the castle down to the River, which was mostly dry despite all the rain we’ve had lately. Apparently it is flowing in the springtime.