Diana Santos
Your local guide. The "organization freak" behind the project and the glue that keeps it authentic.
About Nortada Travels
A group travel agency based in Northern Portugal, creating authentic, sustainable and human-centred experiences for travellers who want to feel the real North.
Who we are
We are three people born in Minho, in Esposende, a small fishing town where the river meets the Atlantic. We grew up between mountains, sea and the rural villages of Northern Portugal.
Life abroad in Switzerland, Ireland and the Netherlands showed us something important: Portugal is still deeply unknown, even to those who visit it. That is why Nortada Travels was born, to reveal the North of Portugal through local eyes.
The "Nortada" is the north wind that comes down our coast on summer afternoons. We grew up with it. It seemed like the right thing to be named after.
The team
João Carqueijó
Your local guide. The "public relations" behind the project, and a great repository of historical information, in case you need to ask something.
Márcio Santos
The person who brought the initial idea for Nortada Travels.
North Coast Natural Park (PNLN)
16 km of coastline with the longest and best-preserved Atlantic dune system in northern Portugal, pine forests, fields and woodland full of plants and wildlife worth protecting.
Peneda-Gerês National Park
Portugal's only National Park. With the Galician Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés park it forms the UNESCO Gerês-Xurés biosphere reserve: four mountain ranges and a huge variety of wildlife.
What we stand for
Human
Experiences that connect people and reduce isolation through shared moments.
Environmental
Nature-based travel that supports conservation and biodiversity projects.
Sociocultural
Support for local culture, traditions and small communities through responsible tourism.