Tag: Terracotta Journeys

15 years ago this month, Terracotta Journeys owners Pedro and Eva took a chance on a dream. “I had this idea of creating an outdoor adventure tour company for a long time,” Pedro says, “but I was working in the corporate world, and it was hard to think about leaving that security.” Additionally, with two young children, it didn’t necessarily seem like the best time to start a company. “Everyone thought I was crazy,” Pedro remembers, “including Eva.” When the company he was working for closed its Lisbon offices it seemed like a sign. So Terracotta Journeys was born in 2007, and the number of tours and clients grew steadily each year. When they began running walking, hiking and cycling tours in Portugal and Spain for outdoor adventure tour giant REI Adventures in 2010, business really boomed. Portugal, especially, became the new European hotspot for tourism. Then came 2020. COVID shutdowns brought international travel to a screeching halt. A year later, REI Adventures permanently closed its international operations overnight, without warning. That left REI’s local tour providers scrambling to regroup, but it was not as daunting for Terracotta Journeys as it could have been. After all, they already had experience as an independent tour company, 11 years of running large-scale operations with REI Adventures under their belt and a seasoned, professional team in place. “80% of what makes a trip fun is the guides,” Eva says, “and that is where Terracotta Journeys excels.” Like Pedro and Eva, it’s a sociable team. They all love showing people around, sharing the trails they like to hike and cycle, and getting to know the interesting people who come on these kind of tours. “We are truly local,” Pedro points out, “which is a huge advantage. Many international tour operators send in young guides who