The Portugal A2Z Team

Pedro co-founded Portugal A2Z in 2006. Born in Portugal, his main passions are travelling and sports, especially cycling, and putting the two of them together make him a very happy man! With a university degree in Computer Science and a Masters in Spatial and Environmental Planning, Pedro has spent his life avoiding turning into a computer geek. That's why, after several other entrepreneurship projects, he co-founded Portugal A2Z to work in what he loves to do. Among other things, he has ten years of experience in guiding groups in Portugal and leading mountain biking and trekking expeditions in places like the Himalayas, Morocco and Patagonia. He is also a lead consultant in a Nature Tourism Development project within Portugal A2Z’s consulting department. Just for fun, he competed in the Portuguese Adventure Racing Team and won the national championship twice. Pedro speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and French fluently and tries not to forget the 9 words he knows in Russian.

Adventurous. Passionate. Proactive and persistent. Luís loves to live!
He likes new challenges. It can be on the start line of a marathon, an unexplored cave, a dive in the sea, a  paragliding take-off or a new professional challenge.
Luís believes that his life is full of dreams to be lived and experiences to be felt.
Tripping over people and believing that we, as a team, can go to the end of the world and beyond ...
Luís believes that our children are the best in life and that it is worth passing them the message that whenever we put Love in what we do, the World gets better.
Luís is happy when, at the end of a trip, we share our passion for Portugal with our clients. It gives meaning to everything that he believes in.

Antonio Silva, born in the scenic Gafanha da Nazaré, is not just a lover of nature and sports; he's a fearless seeker of challenges. As a father of four, he draws inspiration from the wild beauty of the outdoors, pursuing adventures that test his limits. With a degree in Sports, Antonio doesn't just embrace challenges; he craves them, constantly seeking new thrills and conquering obstacles. His journey epitomizes determination and courage, finding joy in every step of life's unpredictable path.

Ricardo Neves was born in Tomar, the emblematic Templar city and, from an early age, he fell in love with outdoor sports. His passion for nature and the mountains led him to discover climbing, a sport he has been practising for almost 20 years. When he is not climbing, you will likely find him exploring Portugal in a variety of ways, whether it is hiking, running, riding his mountain bike or even canyoning. He loves meeting new people and sharing the most beautiful things in Portugal with others. He has a degree in Sports and Wellness and joined the Portugal A2Z team in 2013.

A natural at sports and its enthusiastic fan, Nuno was born in the fishing town of Setúbal where he joined a scouts group at a very young age, experiencing nature and hiking in one of the most beautiful spots in Portugal, Arrábida. After Studying Sports and Physical Education in Lisbon he worked in Angola and Ireland, settling in Leiria, where he lives nowadays. After working in the sports industry, he joined our team as a Operations and Logistics Manager. Nuno loves hiking with his German Shepard dog, as well as all things related to nature and travelling.

Born in Coimbra and raised by her grandmother in the small village of Tocha, tied to the land and the sea from an early age, she went to live with her parents in Leiria at 12. She studied tourism at the University of the Algarve where she stayed for 10 years, mainly in the hotel industry. Returning to Leiria in 2003  worked as a guide for a short period of time until an opportunity arose to work in Cascais in the area of Golf. Later she starts to work in Sintra promoting its cultural heritage and its beautiful natural park. She likes hiking, traveling inside and outside the country, and getting to know different cultures and people. Lover of both, the mountains and the sea, she couldn't live away from these places for long.

Born and raised in Leiria, Nádia grew up playing amongst the walls of two castles: the one in Leiria, that she can’t lose sign of for long, and the one in Ourém, where her family has roots.
A firm believer in human potential, she never loses faith in humanity and in what it can achieve. Early in her life, she found in the scout movement a way of being and living that defines who she is! It was there that her bond and respect for Nature was born - something she never forgets and that she tries to impart to her children, her greatest joy in this life.
A dreamer and curious soul, Nádias is always ready to leave her comfort zone and defy herself constantly, always pursuing a better world. She lived in England and loves to travel with family and friends, get to know new destinations and experience new cultures! 
With a degree in Social and Cultural communication, Nádia has several interests and developed many competences. She studied Kitchen Management and Production and found in cooking a way of being happy. Cooking is a great way to communicate!

Sports and nature are her passion. She's a Mountain Technician (Grade I), with a degree in Sports and Wellness. Whenever she can, she sets off on a new adventure. She loves to put her backpack and leave her comfort zone, to discover the unknown, get to know new places, cultures, customs, people, listen to their stories, all of this makes her feel that she's in the right place, even if it's too far from home. She's also a lover of the Way of Saint James and in her free time, you will find her Geocaching, Orienteering or Climbing.

Tiago Faria born and raised in Leiria, amidst the city centre, his childhood summers was spent in Rebolo (São Martinho do Porto) on a cottage in the woods built by family. After studying graphic designing and sales technician he launched himself to the work world. Always ready to help, learn and be diligent, when not working you might see him practising airsoft and taking care of his car.
Passionate about the American/English language, also understanding Spanish, French, and some words in Japanese.

Born in Coimbra and living her childhood in the village of Castanheira de Pera, Joana grew up surrounded by mountains and nature. Her passion for outdoor sports led Joana to move to Leiria to get her degree in Sports and Wellness.
She joined Portugal A2Z through an internship where she discovered Active Tourism and loved it, she says that joining the world of Sports and Tourism was the best choice she ever made!!
Although Joana is afraid of heights nothing stops her from accepting the most radical challenges.

She is a native of Leiria. Her passion for numbers led her to pursue a degree in Business Management. Animals and nature are also great passions of hers. She enthusiastically explores every corner she visits, revealing her adventurous side. She lives intensely, embracing new experiences and ideas.
She also dedicates herself to studying, aiming to develop her knowledge and envision ideas for the future. Being optimistic is one of the qualities that defines her and serves as a pillar in her life.

Master in Tourism Management and Development, Ana is responsible for project management and operational coordination of the technical team. She also collaborates in the preparation of studies on Nature Tourism, and her greatest motivation is the development of the potentialities of our territory.

Carlos Santos developed a profound passion for photography from a young age, sparked by a film camera gift from his godmother on his birthday. Despite occasional scolding from his mother for using entire rolls of film on landscapes, his love for photography only deepened.
Currently, Carlos serves as the Head of the Front Office department, and Tour Leader during the high season. 
Driven by a deep appreciation for the outdoors and extensive tourism experience, Carlos also enjoys designing nature itineraries and personally leading groups as a tour guide. As Tour Leader, he seamlessly merges his love for photography with guiding, crafting an immersive experience that transcends the captivating images typically associated with his work.
Beyond his professional life, Carlos immerses himself in Traditional Chinese Medicine, excelling in Tui Na massage. He also finds solace in practicing Martial Arts and embarking on cycling adventures, embodying the spirit of a true adventurer.

Born in Coimbra and with a Master in Marketing and Tourism Promotion, Rafael works in the Marketing and Communication department and his mission is to make known the most beautiful and diverse places within his country.
Passionate about sports and nature, whenever he has the opportunity, he enjoys exploring mountain bike trails and getting to know every corner of Portugal by road bike.

With a degree in Sports Science, Manuel has been working in the ecotourism sector since 2004. His passion for mountain and nature sports led him to fall in love with Portugal’s mountains, particularly the Hermínios region. He has been living there for two decades now and is Portugal A2Z’s local guide and expert in the Serra da Estrela region.

Born in Termas de São Pedro do Sul, he soon showed a passion for hiking and cycling from sunrise to sunset. Adventure and Nature are two words he knows well and which he currently combines with his passion for organic farming. He doesn't like to stay still, he loves to travel and to be in contact with other cultures and realities. His most intimate refuge is music, something that makes him reload his batteries and gain inspiration.

Born and raised in the city of Porto, since childhood the passion has always been for everything that is sport, but more specifically soccer. He likes to visit different places, go hiking, cycling, enjoy a good beach and get to know all the places he has visited. 

Born and raised in the city of Porto and with a master's degree in Tourism Management, Paulo has a special fondness for adventure and adrenaline. He joined Portugal A2Z in 2023, where he rediscovered his passion for tourism due to the active and sustainable approach the company takes. He is an affable person who loves to participate and create a good environment around him.

Barra, as he is known in the company, has a passion for Portugal and loves to share it with everyone he meets. After starting his studies as a jazz musician, and being a musician for more than 10 years, Barra played shows all over Portugal using music as an excellent excuse to discover his own country. At the same time, his passion for sports led him to try as many as he could since he was 8 years old, starting with tennis and trying his hand at handball, football, BMX, skating... but cycling and rock climbing are the ones that remain his favourites today. Barra loves the countryside and spends all his free time going on long rides with his dog Dharma. For the past 7 years, he has been working with Portugal A2Z leading and guiding groups as well as helping with whatever is needed at the office. His passion for people, photography, and travel has led him to stay in the tourism business for life.

Portugal A2Z’s co-founder, Nuno was born in Leiria with a love for the outdoors, especially the mountains. That passion led him to begin rock climbing at the age of 13 and, since then, his love for the sport has made him travel all over the world looking for the perfect rock climbing spot. When he is not climbing, hiking, or cycling, he is trying to keep his balance up in the air – on slacklines to be more precise! He has a degree in Sports and Physical Education and, for some years, travelled the world as a Sports Supervisor on the Royal Caribbean cruise lines. He speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish fluently and "un petit" of French.

Born in 1974, in the parish of Sé, in Porto, he has a passion for sports, which he has always practised throughout his life. Cycling and surfing are his favourites and the most time-consuming activities of his life. Another of his passion is travelling, and the possibility of combining sport with travel makes him a happy man.
With a degree in Physical Education and Sports and a Master in Physical Education in School, much of his work has been developed in the school context, developing activities related to adventure sports.
Whenever he can, he likes to explore new paths and routes, whether on a road bike or MTB, as well as new spots to surf.
His latest interest is Tourism and Bike fitting (Biomechanical evaluation of the cyclist).
Kusteyra, as we call him, speaks English, Spanish and a little bit of French.

Born in Italy, in the land of Monferrato, she made several experiences abroad (in Spain, Ireland, Kenya) and travelled to over 55 countries before making Portugal her new home in 2018.
A free spirit, tireless walker and chatterbox, she loves to travel, cycle along the Atlantic coast, taste the local cuisine, and is always looking for new routes through natural and enchanting corners of Portugal, to reveal to curious travellers. A romantic and passionate dreamer, the place of her heart are the Azores Islands, where she lived for a year; it is there that she loves to guide our groups! For Ilaria, "the unspoilt and exuberant nature of the Azores Islands is unique in the world... it's her little piece of Paradise, hidden in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean."

Lina was born near Leiria, in a rural environment, and maybe there is where her passion for nature was born! She loves meeting people and socialising! Fluent in English and a little less in French and Spanish, she is already ready for a conversation. Happiest when travelling, meeting people and getting to know their culture, her true paradise is when she is in nature, walking with enough time to enjoy all the details that nature has to offer, both fauna and flora! After 25 years working as a banker, she decided that it was time to do what she most enjoys: show this beautiful country of ours and its people! To live closer to nature, she picked a small village in a Natural Park to live, where sharing and sustainability are part of everyday life. Her happiness increases when she shares her home in the mountains with family and friends, enjoying a meal with produce from her garden or her neighbours' garden.

Born in a small rural village in central Portugal, this connection to the countryside has made him passionate about nature, mountains and outdoor activities. At 16, he took a course in Speleology and it become one of the greatest passions of his life. In addition to exploring caves, he also studies and monitors bats. He was a firefighter, scout, and practised rugby, paragliding, MTB and Trail Running with friends. Hiking, photography, bird and flora observation are other of his passions. In between his studies in Mechanical Engineering, his profession for many years, he travelled the trails in Patagonia, Himalayas, Alps, Pyrenees and Picos de Europa.
His connection to A2Z goes back to the beginning and, due to his vast knowledge of the territory, nature and environment, he has collaborated in the implementation of new routes and programs.
He is also an A2Z guide with his wife Lina, and together they share the pleasure of welcoming and sharing their vast knowledge of the great biodiversity and beauty of Portugal and its people.
He still lives in a rural village up in the mountains, in the middle of nature and caves, where he actively continues to do what he likes most.