ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

The adventure path of

PORTUGAL NATURE TRAILS

We are a local Adventure and Nature Tourism company, welcoming travelers from all over the world and set out to offer the most outstanding and breathtaking hiking and cycling tours in Portugal.

Exploring the country’s wildest and most well-preserved regions while tasting the best local food and wine, spend the nights on hotels, from 4/5 star to simple welcoming rural local bed and breakfasts. Experience adventure and local culture on guided, self-guided, or tailor-made tours in Portugal.

We’ll give you a detailed briefing containing basic information about Portugal, on how to get along your ride or hike, and ensure that you feel supported no matter what type of tour you choose. Hiking and cycling tours in Portugal.

How it all began

About us

We launched Portugal Nature Trails in 2004, with the belief that other travelers would share the same aspiration for adventure tourism, within a culture of respect for nature and people. At that time, we had nothing more than a love for travel and adventure, associated with a conviction the planet earth is a great place to discover and respect.

Time has passed and we’ve grown, but our desire to give our client the best experience hasn’t changed. See what clients say about us.

Hiking and Cycling Tours in Portugal

Why Portugal Nature Trails?

Because we can change your feelings about the travel experience and life itself.

While experiencing the journey, you’ll discover a new challenge and dimension to your life. Explore the wildest and most preserved regions of Portugal, while tasting the best local food and wine. Spend the night in 4/5-stars hotels or simple, welcoming rustic BNBs.

While traveling with us, you will be transformed and inspired to contribute to a better world. Feel the adventure and local culture on a Day Tour, Guided, Self-Guided, or Tailor-Made tour. Enjoy Hiking and Cycling Tours in Portugal.

What we can offer you

On hiking and cycling Tours in Portugal

Great Tours

Guided, Self-Guided or Tailor-Made tours.

24/7 Support

Even on self-guided tours, you will never be alone. You can reach out to us at any time with questions, suggestions, special requests, or in the event of an emergency.

Excellent Hotels

From comfortable accommodations in rural tourism to deluxe 4 or 5-star hotels, each place you stay has been hand-picked by us.

Great Team

We are passionate about our work and our country, and our greatest delight is to share it with our customers and help them discover Portugal!

Transfer On Arrivals

Rather you arrive at any of our airports or main train stations, or if you are already staying in Portugal, the initial and final transfers of your tour are always included.

Credit Cards accepted

We accept Credit Card payments, as well as bank/wire transfers and PayPal. Let us know which is more convenient for you!

Years of Experience

+20

Team Members

+22500

Customers Served

Tours

Unique Regions

Get to know

Our Team

Elsa Gavinho – Founder, Special Projects & Board Adviser

I am a founding partner of Portugal Nature Trails and a Special Projects Coordinator. I have a Ph.D. in Tourism, in the specialty of tourist spaces planning, and a Master's degree in Nature Tourism Planning. At Portugal Nature Trails, I am focused on ensuring that sustainability is present throughout the company. I believe that traveling is a privilege and that Tourism has the potential to empower communities, improve lives, and increase the respect between people. Ensuring an activity based on sustainability is part of our contribution to a better world.

António Gavinho – Founder & Chief Adventure Creator

I'm the Founder and Chief Adventure Creator of Portugal Nature Trails, an incoming tour operator, specialized in the adventure with a focus on hiking and biking, mixed with cultural and culinary experiences. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1968 I have been working in management for almost 20 years. Traveling, sports and mountains have been always my passion, and so in 2005 my wife Elsa and I started this company to get closer to our passion!

Renato Silva – Operations Manager

I started as a guide in Portugal Nature Trails in 2016, accumulating the functions with all the administrative roles, since January 2018 exercising the functions of operations & logistics manager. I am a nature lover and trail runner & trekking practitioner for many years.

Nadia Andrade – Web Designer & IT Manager

At PNT, I bring ideas to life alongside the coolest, sharp-thinking Ninja team, creating digital projects that are as powerful as they are meaningful for the company. I’m a passionate web designer who cares deeply about the details and how things truly work for our Hikers and Bikers. As one of the Ninjas, I make sure every design decision has a clear purpose and genuinely elevates the user experience.

Diana Freire – Research & Development Manager

As the Research & Development Manager, my mission is to evolve our internal systems and software to better support our team’s daily operations. I bridge the gap between technology and tourism to ensure excellence from the inside out. With a background in Marketing and Communications since 2010, I bring a unique perspective to our back-office development, fueled by my long-standing love for the Tourism sector.

Heloísa Prista – Legal Advisor & Digital Marketing Manager

Hello! I’m Helo, PNT's legal advisor. My passion for travel has been a part of my life since childhood, thanks to my family's adventures that sparked my love for exploring new places. Joining this team allows me to combine my two greatest passions: travel and law. I’m dedicated to ensuring that every biking and walking adventure we offer is not only enjoyable but also compliant with all legal standards. This way, our clients can focus on creating unforgettable memories, knowing their rights and safety are well protected. I’m excited to be part of this journey with you and can’t wait to help you discover the beauty of Portugal!

Bruno Nascimento – Sales Manager

Ever since I was a young boy joining my mother as she guided tourists in the Algarve, I dreamed of welcoming and showing my country to visitors. Life took me on a different journey, working as a tour leader and managing large groups of Portuguese tourists around the World. Thus allowing me to know a diversity of Countries, Cultures, and Communities as well as deal with and manage many different situations. This is the experience I brought to Portugal Nature Trails, where we focus on making every trip a unique, lovely experience for every customer.

Catarina Fialho – Bookings Manager

I am thrilled to take on the role of Bookings Manager at Portugal Nature Trails! Committed to support my team and deliver exceptional experiences, I strive to meet and exceed the expectations of travelers eager to explore our beautiful country. You can count on me to oversee every detail and ensure each trip is perfectly planned and seamlessly booked.

Joaquim José Constanço – Accounting Manager

Hi. I'm Quim-Zé (short for Joaquim José). I worked in banking for 32 years. Four years ago I returned to what I love most: the outdoors. I'm still connected to numbers but closer to nature.

Marta Franco – Operations

Being responsible for booking requests it is my wish to immerse all our travellers into a fantastic adventure! I've started working on tourism with Portugal Nature Trails, and this passion is still growing, because I believe travelling is the higher route to enlarge liveliness and navigate through single cultures. The perfect symbiosis!

Telma Fernades – Content & Customer Experience

I've been a scout since I was a little girl and that's why being in nature is part of me. I have a degree in Tourism and I love to hike and contemplate what Portugal has to offer! I joined the company to be a guide but quickly started to help with the administrative part and now, with great pride, I am part of the family.

Viveca Huitric – Operations

Some of my life motos lie amongst life & living it with glee. Working here I get to do so & participate so our clients do the same. As a bonus i get “to travel” around Portugal (the country I’ve adopted) & the many other destinations we have tours in.

Daniela Pereira – Bookings

Passionate about Portugal, its history and customs, and its beautiful and diverse landscapes, I decided, in 2017, to enroll in the Tourism Information degree, which provided me with fundamental tools to get to know this magnificent country and the best way to introduce it. I continued my studies, this time in the Masters in Strategic Management of Tourism Destinations, trying to learn how to put my ideas into action, mainly co tourist itineraries and how they are fundamental for tourism and its sustainable development. Portugal Nature Trails was my first contact with the working world of tourism and what a great way to start! Striving to improve every day, I try to offer the best booking process to all customers so that their visit to this little corner of Europe becomes unforgettable.

Federica Andolfi – Bookings

Hi! My name is Federica, and I am Italian. I left my country very young to spent some years in Germany and then I moved to Portugal. I'm based here for 6 years now, and I always worked in the Marketing & Tourism area. I love to learn new languages and knowing cultures and histories from other countries. Here at Portugal Nature Trails, I work in the Booking department. and I help this innovative and healthy company to offer wonderful and personalised tours of nature and sports. I'm always ready to give my best and learn everything that I can!

Beatriz Videira – Bookings

As someone who has always loved monuments, history, and nature, I believe that Portugal Nature Trails presents itself as an excellent way to integrate myself into an environment that I love so much while helping those who wish to explore all the treasures that Portugal hides and has to offer. My training in Tourism Information and Cultural Studies and Management has fostered my desire to work in the various aspects of culture while passing them on to communities. Let me help you make your dreams come true in a territory with so much culture, gastronomy, and biosphere to share!

Rita Basílio – Bookings

I have a degree in Architecture, I am a Level 2 Surf Coach, and I hold a Master's degree in Planning and Management in Nature and Adventure Tourism. I love traveling, meeting people, and outdoor activities.

Maria Finisterra – Product & Pricing

I’m a young worker inspired to learn more and always with the mindset to make my best at everything. It’s a pleasure to work in product and pricing at Portugal Nature Trails, where I focus on designing and creating travel offerings to ensure the best possible experience for you.

Ana Filipa Montenegro – Bookings & Groups

I found a workspace in "Portugal Nature Trails" that I can call “Home”! With an innovative mindset and modern philosophy focused on the sustainable tourism segment, managed from an extraordinary family environment, and in which I feel integrated and motivated to continue investing my knowledge and passion for the tourism sector. With almost 20 years of experience, in this amazing company, I feel that I can maintain the same enthusiasm as when I started, committing to ensuring that each project is successful and that customer satisfaction is always at the heart of my work.

Maria Azevedo – Accounting

Hi! I've found my little corner in the finance department. Numbers and invoices are my daily routine at PNT, and it's fun too!

Isabel Esteves – Bookings & Groups

Growing up, spending my summers in the beautiful Azores islands, I developed a deep passion for nature from an early age. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism, which has given me a strong foundation in creating meaningful and well-designed travel experiences. Being a scout also played an important role in my journey, strengthening my love for the outdoors, teamwork, and exploration. Working at Portugal Nature Trails gives me the opportunity to share with our guests the landscapes I fell in love with, in Portugal and beyond, creating authentic experiences, meaningful connections with nature.

Gustavo Gonçalves – Bike Mechanic & Operations

Riding bikes and fixing them has been a long-time passion of mine. Luckily, I am blessed because that is my work. If I am not on the tools, you can find me on the trail.

Francisco Oliveira – Bike Maintenance

Francisco Oliveira AKA "Kico" born and raised in Lisbon since 78'. I started working in Portugal Nature Trails in 2014, working as a guide, and more recently I'm responsible for the reliability and maintenance of the bicycle department. I also love to travel with the family, always trying to combine snowboarding, discovering wild places, and the beautiful African culture.

Susana Carvalho – Senior Guide

It's a pleasure to share the love for my country with anyone I meet. After getting my degree in sports and working for a while in tourism, I felt that guiding in nature was a perfect match. Hiking and being one with nature gives me peace and a lot of joy, exploring new places and meeting people from different cultures connects me to other experiences of the human race.

Bernardo Andrade – Senior Guide

Senior guide at PNT, leading hike and bike tours. With a Biology degree, I worked in Brazil on a conservation project and there developed a passion for guiding. I traveled and guided in different countries such as Argentina, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana. It was amazing to come back and start exploring my own country and sharing it with our visitors.

Zé Luís Santos – Guide

João Saraiva Martins – Guide

I worked for 30 years in the Telecommunications and Energy Engineering market, in technical or sales management functions, always managing to "feed" the special taste for adventure, practicing Trail Running and Mountain Bike, always very close to nature, which gives me a special pleasure.

Nuno Mourinha – Guide

I have always been a fan of sports as a way to keep my balance. I started by organizing competitive events but the part I liked most was exploring, getting to know new regions, beautiful and remote places, local people, the authentic Portugal. I show it now, without rushing, looking for interaction with people in a free and no stress way.

Carlos Penisga – Guide

Honório Teixeira – Guide (Madeira)

My name is Honório Teixeira and I work as a guide since 2005. I'm 43 years old, born and living in the beautiful Madeira island, which I love to show to our tourists. That's why I am the Guide and Logistics Support at Madeira island for Portugal Nature Trails! My job is to prepare and accompany groups and agency tours, so I look forward to your visit.

Izhar Domotor – Guide (Israeli Groups)

I am a mountain guide based in France. I have a special place in my heart for high mountains and the quiet desert. Since 2009 I am taking groups to several destinations as Morocco, Greenland, Iceland, Kyrgistan, and much more. In Portugal Nature Trails I am the guide for the Israeli groups that come to trek in Spain, Madeira, and Morocco.