A New Chapter After 10 Years of Guiding

After ten wonderful years as a tour guide in the Douro Valley, it’s time for me to close this chapter and begin a new one. Guiding has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life: sharing the history, landscapes, wines, and stories of this region with people from all over the world. Over the past decade I have had the privilege to meet countless travelers who arrived as guests and often left as friends. For that, I will always be grateful.

Looking back, these ten years were filled with laughter, discovery, and connection. They gave me the chance not only to show the Douro but also to learn from the perspectives of so many curious and inspiring people. It has been an exchange that enriched me far beyond what I could have imagined when I first began.

Now, my energy and passion are turning fully to two projects close to my heart. At O’Porco, our wine and tapas bar in Pinhão, I’ll continue to welcome visitors and locals in a more intimate way — around a table, with a glass of wine and a plate of good food. And at Marmelão, our family’s small organic winery in Provesende, we are preparing to open the doors and share our wines, our garden, and our home with those who want to experience the slower rhythms of Douro life.

This is not a goodbye, but a transformation. Instead of guiding on the road, I’ll be receiving people at the table and in the vineyard. The spirit remains the same: hospitality, sharing, and celebrating the Douro.

Thank you to everyone who walked this journey with me. I look forward to welcoming you in Pinhão or in Provesende — where the story continues.