Exploring the Algarve: Part 2 - Urban exploration of abandoned places

Hotel Golfinho 

We came across this hotel purely by chance, although it's pretty hard to miss! Located super close to our favourite beach in Lagos, Dona Ana, we were instantly attracted to this creepy looking building. 

After doing some research on the building we found out it was called 'Hotel Golfinho' which translates to Dolphin hotel. About 20 years ago it was a popular resort for holidaymakers but the recession hit it hard and it had to close.  

It's a HUGE resort with 300 or so rooms, a swimming pool, bar and even a club! We had to climb through a hole in the fencing around the place and walk along a high wall to get down to the ground floor. 

The old logo of the hotel. 

Kids pool in the middle and adult pool on the right. 

The kids pool. 

The outside.

We found a creepy doll on the stairs!! 

Ruins of the old convent da Tridade 

There's not much information on the internet about this place apart from its name and that it was built between 1599 and 1609 and was later damaged in an earthquake. It was then rebuilt as a hospital for the Portuguese Navy but I'm unsure of how it became so rundown after. 

Located in lagos, it was easy to find and easy to get into! (In fact the door was knocked down!). As soon as we got into the building we were flooded by the stink of waste and rubbish and the first room was covered in plastic bags and old food wrappers. 

The entrance

Exploring this place was so exciting but also quite gross and creepy. As we made our way around we found the overgrown courtyard that lead onto some more rooms. I was totally surprised by something I almost trod on, a mummified cat!

People used to mummify their cats for a number of reasons which include:
- Protection of witchcraft (particularly if the cat was found in the walls)
- Sending the beloved pet into the afterlife
- offering the cat as a present to the gods.

Needless to say it gave us the heebeegees! (photo below)

The floor was filled with plastic bags and waste products! 

Mummified cat!!

The courtyard 

We went across the courtyard to the rooms opposite...and that's when I started hearing banging noises. I turned around a saw a door that had warning signs on, such as 'STAY OUT' and some things written in portuguese.  Before I had time to ask Chris if he could hear the banging a man's voice rung through the air shouting 'HEY!!!'. We didn't hang around long enough to hear the rest and legged it as fast as we could!

Chris later mentioned that one of the rooms looked like someone (or something..) had been living there, as there was boxes full of things on the floors. 

So just a caution to anyone wanted to explore this place, beware of the shouting man and mummified cat! 


There are many abandoned places in Portugal, and if your brave enough, you should have a search, although please we aware people may be living in them - and don't go alone or at night!!! 

Another abandoned house - We didn't explore this one as we were still creeped out from the Convent..

Old fashioned photography tips, trends and techniques

Before the time of digital, and film was the only option, you had to get a little more inventive to get the effect or composition you wanted. Below I will go through the clever, strange and just plain creepy ways in which photos have been taken in the past.

Carpet cover-up 

Back in the day, shutter speeds were extremely slow, meaning that the model would have to stay still for a long period of time. It can be difficult nowadays to get the right shot with kids involved but can you image how difficult it was back then to keep them still? So the carpet cover-up was invented! This volved the mother or nanny of the child holding the child or their hand to keep them still, but as an attempt not to be seen in the photo, they would hide under a carpet...Yes its as crazy as it sounds. Check out the photos below:

Good attempt...but doesn't work well..

'Watch the birdie' 

This little device was invented to help the photographer get the attention of the child. When ready to take the shot, the photographer would squeak the device to get the child to look his way.

Photographing the dead

Known as memorial or mourning photography, photographing beloved dead people was the norm for the rich in the 1800's. The photos served as keepsakes for the family, and in some cases may have been the only photograph taken of the deceased. It sounds very creepy to us these days but back then death was much more common in households, particularly in infants. The deceased were often made to look alive by posing them with toys, or in positions as to make it appear they are asleep. Sometimes a rosey tint was added to the photos to make the person look more alive.

Crack a smile!

You may have wondered by victorians are rarely seen smiling in photos. I used to think it was just the fashion back then to seem rather moody. But the actual reason is down to the long shutter speed times. It was easier to look glum then to fake a smile for 30/60 seconds. As shutter speed times increased over the years more people were depicted a little happier. 

10 vintage photos that need an explanation. (They will make your day)

#1 In times before the batmobile

2#    If you haven't heard, pandas make the best goalies 

#3 Dirty (yet skilled) monkey

#4  Can someone explain? 

#5 Someone call ghost busters

#6 'Nothing to see here, move along.' 

#7 In the days before photoshop, there was always the carpet to cover grandma. 

#8 Before health and safety, when kids LOVED saws. 

#9 The cats expression screams 'WHY?' 

#10 'Sir, you appear to have something...nevermind.' 


Hope you guys enjoyed checking these pictures out, I sure had fun finding them! Cameras have seen some weird things since their beginning and these photos leave so many unanswered questions! 

Planning on doing a few more blog posts like this in the future so keep update with me via my facebook page www.facebook.com/beckynetleyphotography 

Ciao for now! x

Artists that turned pain into art.

Art, for many people is a form of therapy, an outlet of emotions to difficult to form into words. If you've seen any of my personal work, I'm sure your aware that I use my own difficult emotions, and struggles with my mental illness in my work. I've recently become fascinated with other artists work that they may have created in difficult stages of their lives. Its crazy how much you can relate to a piece of work, without any words, you just get how the artist was feeling! 

3 Famous artists who suffered mental illness:

1. Pablo Picasso. 

Picasso's 'blue' period was between 1901-1904 where it is thought that he suffered great depression. He reflected this in his paintings through the blue period in which is used a lack of colour, sticking to blues, greys and monochrome. 

2. Vincent Van gogh 

Van Gogh reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals frequently. This is personally one of my favorite pieces of his work, reflecting himself being 'imprisoned' by his thoughts.   

3. Bobby Baker. 

Bobby Baker's visual diary through her struggles with her borderline personality disorder are honest, imaginative and very surreal. I was lucky enough to attend a workshop based on her style as part of her exhibition 'Diary drawings: mental illness and me:1997-2008'. 

Below are my personal favorite pieces of art work that (to me) depict emotional pain that I can relate to:

Anxiety by BeethyPhotography

Unknown artist. 

Artist: Shin Kwang Ho.

Ceramic sculptures by Nakita Naik.

Hope you guys find these inspiring and decide to do something creative whenever your down, believe me, it really can help! 

Next weeks blog post: 'Philosophical theories on art' 

Becky x