About Us

Our team

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  Eduardo Melo Cláudio, Managing Partner

  Eduardo likes to think of himself as a person of multiple interests. Has built a solid career in Portugal’s number one Telecommunications and Internet service provider where he took over management jobs in the areas of Product Development and Management, Customer Service and IT Management. During the time he worked as Product Manager he launched Mimo, the first worldwide pre-paid mobile phone, which is mentioned to this day as one of the greatest Portuguese innovations of all times. This drive towards innovation led him to join professional and personal interests – to travel and to enjoy life to the fullest- and Portugal Trails was born. This is a project that he grabbed with deep conviction and with the belief that Portugal Trails innovative approach allows travelling in an independent and yet safe way and enhanced by local travel consultants.

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  Pedro Duque, Director of IT

  A hardworking computer worker and a large family father, in which everyone loves to travel. Considering all the diversity that our country offers, they have focused their travels and family vacations in Portugal, with some incursions to Spain – land of his paternal grandmother. Invited by Eduardo Cláudio to embrace Portugal Trails and Spain Trails projects, he accepted it with the enthusiasm that innovative and challenging projects offer. Certain that the knowledge of our Travel Consultants allows Portugal Trails to have the most extensive and deep knowledge of the country, he take’s advantage of this knowledge to offer his family even more enjoyable and relaxing trips.

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  Vanessa Pinto, Sales Director

  A Portuguese in love both with Portugal and Spain, since her mother’s side of the family comes originally from Seville. Studied Tourism at University and got a degree as an Interpreter Guide precisely because she knew that her true passion was to travel and to be in contact with many different cultures. And that’s exactly what she did for three years, having now returned to tell you all about it. Indeed to tell you about the secrets and hidden gems that are only familiar to a native. Vanessa also travelled through America, Europe and Africa yet it is in this little corner of Europe that she really feels happy and from where she believes, can turn Portugal Trails customer’s tours, into truly unique experiences. She currently lives in a coastal town on the outskirts of Lisbon.

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  Alejandro Ramirez, Travel Consultant

  Alejandro is Spanish, but he came to Portugal when he was 7 years old and he didn’t leave yet! He choose to stay in Lisbon to study college instead of going back to Madrid. He took Hospitality Management as a career due to his ability to create empathy with people and his fluency in Spanish, Portuguese and English languages. He believes that in order to a traveler to fully enjoy travelling, he must feel at home and be understood, so good communication is mandatory. After two years at a front office in a hotel in Lisbon he moved to Portugal Trails and Spain Trails to expand his options. “Why promote only one city, when you can show the whole country?” he asks. Even better! His two favorite countries! Portugal and Spain have hidden gems, secrets, amazing culture and gastronomy waiting to be discovered, and Alejandro will be one of the best assistants to discover it all!

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  Ana Medinas, Tour Guide

  I am a Portuguese Tour Guide living in Carcavelos, near Cascais on the beautiful coast of Lisbon. I was brought up with one foot on the plains of the southern region of Alentejo where food and wine are a way of expressing affection, and the other on the beach region of Cascais where the constant coming and going of the waves of the Atlantic Ocean define the local’s traits as travelers and explorers. I studied literature at the University in my early 20s and from then on I felt the wonder of expressing myself in writing as well as verbally.  I often say that after my later training as an Interpreter Guide, I started to see reading and writing as my more meditative side and my oral expressiveness as a working tool. I am, therefore, an eternal defender of communication and, above all, of words and languages: so far I speak 5 fluently! Food, wine, long walks, paintings and art in general are my all time favorites and I dedicate my life to explore these with people sharing the same passions!

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  Ana Carla Cabrita, Tour Guide

  Ana Carla is a Nature Guide in Costa Vicentina, one of the best-preserved coastal areas in Europe. An Ecologist, she loves to share all the corners of this nature park, which was her playground growing up, and firmly believes that it will charm all visitors who walk there. Born in Sagres and with degree in Business Communication and Public Relations, nature was her calling and it led her to a post-graduation in “Active Tourism in Nature Areas”, in Seville. She’s co-author of the Plant guide “200 Plantas do SW Alentejano & Costa Vicentina”. Each guide hike with Ana Carla is tailored to the visitor’s interest and it is also a walk in history, nature and local traditions.

• André Pereira, Tour Guide

  André was born and raised in the northern city of Porto. A true “tripeiro” who studied History and majored in Tourism. Always worked for the past 10 years as a tour guide, he shares his own passion/ job with people from all over the world. Keen on the History of Judaism and American Studies, aside from working as a tour guide in Porto, Braga, Guimarães, and the Douro Valley, André also shares his taste in music, by being a vinyl aficionado. His tours always encompass a bit of everything: history, culture, gastronomy, wine, and important hints & tips of what to do and where to go in Portugal. On a rainy or sunny day, André is always ready to share Portugal, especially Porto, with those who never visited before.

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  Beatriz Cassona, Content Editor

  Beatriz was born and raised in Sintra and believes that it is possible to make people travel through words and stories. With a degree in Journalism and a course in Digital Communication and Web, she realized that writing is also a way to visit places and experience new things. She has traveled to several countries, including Holland, Spain, Tunisia, England and France, and seeks to explore every corner of her wonderful country, Portugal. She never misses an opportunity to discover new cultures, new traditions and new ways of life. Beatriz loves being in touch with nature and does not say no to a good camping experience! Working as a Content Editor at Portugal Trails gives her the perfect opportunity to share with you everything there is to know about new experiences, new places, new stories.

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  Catarina Martins, Travel Consultant

  Catarina has started her route in tourism travelling by car with her parents from North to South of Portugal. At the age of 12, she began organizing trips for her family and, at the same age, left with her family in a car adventure along several European countries, such as Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Her main interests are traveling, learning new languages and try new restaurants in every place she visits. Catarina was born and raised in Inner Portugal and took her bachelor in Tourism, Territory and Heritage by Coimbra’s University. During her life, she had the opportunity to live in different regions of Portugal and to adapt to the national cultural diversity. With the goal of learning about other cultures and how to attract tourists, she went to Stockholm, Sweden, to work in tourism and has visited Cape Verde and Thailand and she is keeping her promise to visit a new country every year. As a Portugal Trails and Spain Trails Travel Consultant, Catarina will be able to show you what her loved country has best and to meet your expectations.

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  Cristina Chagas, Travel Consultant

  Cristina, since childhood, won the taste for traveling and seeing the world. The only Continent missing now is Oceania, but it won’t be for long! Totally in love with meeting new realities and cultures, she saw in Tourism an excellent opportunity to share her taste for traveling with others. Has a Degree in Business Communication and also has a Master’s Degree in Advertising. Although Tourism is not her area of expertise, she won her passion through all her experiences as a traveler. Currently lives in a town by the sea on the outskirts of Lisbon, having previously lived in Barcelona (Spain). Her greatest wish is to share all her knowledge and to make every trip, to Portugal and Spain, unforgettable! For her there is no greater satisfaction than seeing that the trip she designed exceeded the expectations of the visitors! Feels fully accomplished now that she found her true calling as a Travel Consultant at Portugal Trails & Spain Trails!

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  Diana Ramos, Travel Consultant

  Diana discovered her passion for travelling when she was a young child and it has not stopped growing.  Her curiosity has led her to visit a lot of places in Iberian Peninsula, but she desires to visit and learn much more about her homeland and Spain. She loves Portugal and Portuguese food, and is really proud of the fact that her homeland has so much variety to offer. Every year she takes half of her vacation to discover more about Portugal and Spain, and the other half to explore other parts of the world. Diana graduated in Tourism Management in Portugal and also earned a certificate in Guest Service and International Tourism from the University of Central Florida, in the USA.   Her enthusiasm for the Tourism Industry was reinforced by travelling in other countries, learning about different cultures, and even more by living and working in the USA where she shared her experiences with people of many countries and with different perspectives. Working as a Travel Consultant gives her the opportunity to put together all of her passions, and she truly loves it!

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  Diogo Caldeira e Ricardo Mendonça, Tour Guides

  The idea came up during a dinner with friends, between glasses of wine and typical cuisine. Ricardo was finishing his master’s degree in cultural tourism product development at the university in 2014 and had a huge passion for history, heritage books and, as a professor, he loved talking and teaching cultural aspects to friends in the city he loves and lives, the city of Évora. Diogo worked at a worldwide known multinational company as an IT project manager and service coordinator and always had the ambition to one day create and run a customer focused business. He’s restless mind and willingness to evolve moves him into continuously looking for new challenges. Taking the friendship as the base both shared a taste for travel, cultural experiences and organizing visits and trips for friends and family. Due to the taste of both for entrepreneurship and because they saw that their personal and professional skills were perfectly complete, they decided to start a common professional project, first as a tourist entertainment company in the city of Évora facing a segment of the cultural tourism market, offering which at the time was scarce or of poor quality.

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  Elsa Páscoa, Tour Guide

  A foodie and a history lover with a sense of humor, Elsa is a tour guide with more than one decade of experience in tourism. Do a tour with her and you will for sure fall in love with Portugal. It is not only her passion, it is her big smile and the enthusiasm for sharing the uniqueness of Portuguese culture and gastronomy. Elsa knows the best spots, the hidden gems, the shortcuts, the history, all the fun curiosities and, of course, the best restaurants. Her tours offer the best mix of fun and information.

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  Filipa Rodrigues, Travel Consultant

  Filipa always wanted to work in Tourism. Her passion for other languages and enthusiasm for exploring her own country and others is what drives her!  She studied foreign languages, and specialized in Tourist Information. It is her goal to discover more of Portugal and Spain and to use her knowledge to put together wonderful experiences for her clients. Filipa has travelled through Europe and Africa, and looks forward to other adventures to discover other continents.  She lives in a seaside town near Lisbon, and couldn’t feel happier about being a Travel Consultant at Portugal Trails & Spain Trails!

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  Frederico Rodrigues, Travel Consultant

  Travelling and all the memories that come with it have always been his passion. It all started when he went on a safari quest in Namibia and South Africa and it hasn’t stopped ever since. Graduated in Hospitality Management, Frederico has travelled all over Europe, Africa, worked abroad in hospitality for three years in Rome and São Paulo, what has given him the privilege to work in different multicultural environments, meeting people from all over the world and experiencing different cultures. In love with his country and with what it has got to offer, Frederico found himself promoting Portugal and Spain as travel destinations to other travelers every time he could. Today he puts together all his experience to give our customers the best tours that won’t be easily forgotten.

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  Gonçalo Oliveira, Travel Consultant

  Born in Lisbon in the year of 1996, Gonçalo realized from an early age that traveling was something he loved. His passion for traveling led him to join the Tourism Management Graduation, in the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril, in 2015, which he concluded in 2018. Very communicative and charismatic, Gonçalo has an obvious taste for organizing and planning events and trips. He considers himself to be a simple and methodical peson, and has a huge desire to make the World a better place. Focused on the relationship and customer service, Gonçalo thinks he is in the right place to advise and prepare our costumers trips in both Portugal and Spain. On a personal level, he is cheerful, available and effective. With an enormous interest in Sports, he entices this interest to the desire to know the entire World.

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  Inês Oliveira, Travel Consultant

  Inês was born in the village of Cascais, where she lived all her life. Born to a northern dad and a southern mother, she has a good knowledge of Portugal and its richness. From a young age, she developed the interest of knowing different locations due to the tradition of traveling on her birthday. In 2017, she flew to Vienna – Austria, where she lived and studied for 6 months. It was her first big solo adventure, where she got to know a lot of amazing countries. She loves the direct contact with different cultures and she’s always eager to help you organizing your next trip with Portugal Trails and Spain Trails, making sure you have an amazing experience like she’s had!

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  João Silva, Travel Consultant

  Tourism is João’s passion and you can see it once you have the chance to meet him. Fascinated by the Travel Market, He has based his career in Tourism and Customer Service. After a Hospitality management degree, João started to develop a good multicultural awareness and became really interested in not only learning new cultures and languages, but to have an influence on Portuguese visitors, in order to make them get to know better and understand the Country he loves. Sharing the Portuguese culture has been the most important part of João’s professional and personal life. Having a passion for both Portugal and Tourism, makes João a great asset for travelers who search for the true authentic hidden gems of Portugal.

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  José Quelhas, Travel Consultant

  José is what you call a true local, born and raise in the Capital of Portugal, Lisbon. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences. His degree on Management of Tourism Companies allowed him to have already professional experiences in Hospitality, Local Lodging, Touristic Animation and performed as a Guest Service Officer in the most prestigious Cruise Company operating the seven seas. Any excuse is enough to discover another place that his never been to, for it’s the surprise and the feeling of discovering something new that improves the experience, and there are so many new places to discover. That’s why he joined Portugal Trails, to provide you with his knowledge of the places he knows and wants you to know!

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  Nuno Adriano, Tour Guide

  Everything in Nuno is connected with the Estrela Mountain, Portugal. Nuno has a degree in Sports Science and has been a local guide since 2004. Has an extraordinary knowledge of his territory, specifically themes related to geology, flora and fauna in mountainous areas, without forgetting the vast, rich and secular local history. As a hiking and touristic guide, what matters most to him is that when clients return home, they remember the good times spent at Estrela Mountain and Historic Villages of Portugal. It is a sign that his work has been well done.

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  Nuno Oliveira, Local Driver

  Nuno grew up in a family related to the tourism industry but from young age he had his own vision how tourism services should be. So in the year of 200,1 at the age of 25, he started his own company and specialized in the upscale private transport and tours services being one of the first companies to do so in the North of Portugal. His company has been setting the level of the upscale services since then and became one of the main suppliers of the key 5-star hotels of Porto and high-end travel agencies around the world that look for services in the north of Portugal.

• Pedro Rebelo, Tour Guide

  I was born in Coimbra, and I’ve embraced my profession as an Official Guide to the fullest in 2018, even though working in Tourism and Heritage since 2010. My academic studies led me through degrees in History, Heritage and Tourism. This past year I also became a teacher in Heritage and Tourism. I’m a passionate professional, loving my work as a Guide, my city and my Country. Since 2018, Portugal Trails and I have been working together and it’s an amazing experience! We always work to bring the absolute best experience to those visiting us. We’ll see you soon!

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  Rita Bernardo, Travel Consultant

  Rita was born in Cascais, near Lisbon, and believes that it were the weekend detours with her parents, when she was little, what  got her so interested in exploring the country, wandering through new sights and places, as well as understanding their history. The fact that she has always been keen on communicating with new people, led her to a Journalism degree, with the hopes of being able to tell what she sees and witnesses through her writing and also her photography, her two main occupations. Besides Portugal and Spain, to which she refers as two lovely countries with much to discover. Rita loves to discover natural sights, acknowledge new cultures and is very enthusiastic about independent travelling. Now she hopes to share what she has learned with you, by suggesting new settings for fresh adventures and happy memories.

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  Sofia Martins, Administrative Assistant

  One of Sofia’s passions is to explore Portugal and Spain, which considers unique countries, for their heritage and cultural richness, varied scenic beauty and rich and tasty cuisine. Graduated in Tourism and with a postgraduate degree in Business Management and Strategy, in Portugal Trails & Spain Trails she has the opportunity to combine her taste for tourism together with the administrative and financial area, ensuring a quality service through a crucial role she plays in back- office. Embraced the privilege to work in a company that share, in an innovative and exemplary way, the charms and wealth of both countries and provides clients with unique and unforgettable experiences.

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  Sofia Silva, Administrative Assistant

  Sofia was born in the calm and beautiful Oeiras coastal town and always watched the Tagus River horizon with a glimmering glow in her eyes longing for the adventure of travelling. A Fine Arts student, majored on Design and Photography, she has always worked in creative departments and teaching. Europe and Africa are her favorite destinations but she always considered Portugal and Spain as the most memorable experiences inducers. Naturally fascinated by tourism, culture, civilizations, arts and food, that to her represent interest, experimentation and knowledge, she embraced the Portugal Trails and Spain Trails concept, where she feels fulfilled sharing experiences in this journey with co-workers and clients.