In the 1960s, more than 100 people lived in Pedralva, a small village in the western Algarve.
But like many rural villages in Portugal, people slowly left for the cities.
By 2006, only 9 residents remained and many of the old houses were abandoned or in ruins.
Then a project started to bring the village back to life.
The difficult part was finding the owners.
Some houses had several heirs living in different parts of Portugal and abroad. More than 200 owners and heirs had to be contacted before the restoration could move forward.
The houses were then rebuilt one by one, keeping the original streets, traditional materials and simple Algarve architecture.
Today, Pedralva has 26 restored houses for visitors, as well as permanent residents, a restaurant and a small café.
The narrow streets are still where they always were, the houses follow the original design and the village remains surrounded by the wild landscape of the Costa Vicentina.
Pedralva is also between Vila do Bispo and Carrapateira, making it a great base for exploring places like Praia da Bordeira and Praia do Amado.
It is a very different Algarve from the big resorts of the south coast.
And a good example of how an almost abandoned village found a new life without completely losing its character.
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