Meet Samuel, Your expert in Portugal!
🌍 Lives in: Castelo Branco, Portugal
Regions of Expertise: Beira Alta and Beira Baixa regions, Tagus International Park, Malcata and Estrela Mountains, Côa River, Lisbon, Porto, Algarve
Languages: English, Español, Português
Experience: 3 years as an outdoor specialist & guide
Samuel’s specialties:
Get to know Samuel!
A note from Samuel
“Hey everyone! My name is Samuel and I am a passionate outdoorsman. I was born and raised in Lisbon's surroundings, however I changed my life and moved to a remote village, in deep rural Portugal, 3 years ago. Since then I've been guiding people and sharing my passion towards the outdoors in every way I can.
I enjoy picnics, off-grid accommodations, hiking and trekking tours, wildlife watching, road trips (on and off-road) and most of all, avoiding tourist traps! So that's what I focus on, when advising people regarding visiting Portugal.
Of course, I also enjoy to relax, to visit the most known monuments and cities, to spend a day at the beach and to eat at a good restaurant, so I would call myself a proper Portuguese! If this sounds like your idea of visiting a country, then I would very much enjoy to help you plan a trip to Portugal. Looking forward to meeting you!”
Q&A with Samuel
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My region in particular, in the surroundings of the Malcata Mountains, is a place where both Nature and people meet and perfectly match.
I enjoy the calmness, the authenticity and the biodiversity here.
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My perfect day would depend on the time of the year! Life changes a lot around here depending if it's winter or summer time, so I would say the perfect day for me is a Spring day, starting with a visit to a castle or a museum by the morning, followed by a quick lunch and some lazy time at a river beach, eating cherries!
By the afternoon, I would do a small trekking and finish with a tasty local products' picnic with a view, or a proper meal on a good restaurant.
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My personal “Rural Day”. It's a full day spent on a farm next to a virgin river, on a Nature Reserve.
We experience the animals, the landscape and our traditions, as well as some history, just to try and make some fresh cheese as well as enjoying a proper portuguese meal, slow cooked at an iron pot.
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Casa da Esquila. I personally know the chef (who cooked for my own wedding) and very much enjoy his abbility to go foraging and introduce those products in a fine, signature meal.
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Cabrito Assado, Papas de Carolo and Bica de Azeite are the most typical products here, although Portugal is a food country overall.
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There are several things I enjoy doing on my spare time, such as birdwatching or local cultural visits, but also some offroading in motorcycle or 4x4.
Enjoying a fine meal or a nice dessert would also count as hobbies, right?
I would say I also enjoy lazy activities, so spending time on a hammock, by the river, actually going for a swim or even Stand Up padlleboarding are a nice choice for warm weather.
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When I travel, I enjoy to go deep on local costumes and experience life as a local, with the commodities of a tourist.
I like to understand history, taste their food, and experience unique activities.
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I’ve been to quite a few places already, and my most special trip was to the São Miguel island, in the Azores, Portugal. I was with my wife and another couple, and we did it all!
We tried several restaurants and stayed at the table for hours! We experienced the island’s nature and went dolphin and whale watching on a former fishing boat.
We also tried some known local attractions related to its volcano origin, which made our day. Needless to say, local drinks were always good companions as well.
Portugal Travel Consultations
Plan a better trip with some help from Samuel
Sit down with Samuel for a one-hour planning session to get his expert advice and the best local tips and recommendations.
Our travel consultations are the perfect solution for do-it-yourself travelers who want to plan on their own, but could use some expert local advice. Each consultation is personalized, and Samuel is available to help in whatever way you need.
From working on your itinerary and advising on routes and transportation, to ideas for off the beaten path destinations and truly authentic experiences, he's got you covered.
For the best local advice, go ask a local!
Why plan with Samuel
Spend 60 minutes tapping into Samuel’s hyperlocal expertise to plan a better trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consultations cost $125 USD.
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Consultations are held over Google Meet. Once you’ve scheduled your call, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing the link for your video call. On the scheduled day and time, just click that link to join.
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Each consultation is different, but here are some common things that our experts typically help with:
Itinerary planning
Transportation, driving routes, and tips for how to get around
Practical travel information; culture, safety, weather, language, money/tipping, etc.
Suggested hotels/accommodations and advice on where to base yourself
Local recommendations for restaurants, activities, and unique experiences
Advice on reputable tour guides, tour operators, and excursions
Pro tips on how to best visit popular sights and attractions
Ways to avoid overcrowded destinations and tourist traps
Insider ideas on off the beaten path places, authentic experiences, and ways to connect with locals
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What you can get done in an hour depends on your goals for the consultation and how organized you are coming into it.
In most cases, an hour is ample time to create a solid itinerary, answer your major travel questions, get practical advice on how to travel in your destination, and discuss lots of great local tips and recommendations.
To ensure that the hour is used efficiently, when you schedule your call, our pre-consultation questionnaire will ask you what your primary goals for the consultation are. Prior to the call, your Local Expert will review your questionnaire and prepare detailed information addressing those goals.
They’ll come into the call ready to share specific advice, recommendations, itinerary ideas/revisions, and useful links and resources for you to review together.
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Yes! Each consultation is guided by a comprehensive pre-consultation questionnaire that you fill out immediately upon booking.
We’ll ask you a series of 30+ detailed questions that really dig into you, your trip, your interests and travel style, and what you want to discuss with your Local Expert.
The questionnaire will cover things like: the dynamics of your group, the things you enjoy while traveling, your budget, how early you want to start your day and how late you want to end it, whether you want to hit the highlights or roam the back streets, and even what types of restaurants you want to eat at.
Your Local Expert will focus only on your interests and travel style.
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Our Local Experts are seasoned travel professionals who have spent decades working in their countries/regions. While their personal interests may be different from yours, they’ve worked with thousands of travelers and have recommendations and advice for every type of individual.
They know their destinations in-depth and can help plan a trip for every traveler and taste.
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No. Our service is geared toward independent, do-it-yourself travelers who intend to make bookings on their own.
Our goal is not to plan your trip for you, but rather to help you plan a better trip independently. To that end, our Local Experts will give you all of the information that you need to confidently put your trip together yourself.
When Local Experts recommend things like restaurants, hotels, excursions/activities, tours, drivers, etc., they’ll provide you with contact details and links so that you can make the final arrangements on your own.
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Almost every Go Ask A Local expert has at least 10 years of professional travel experience as a guide or trip planner in their country/region.
We work with a vetted team of seasoned professionals who know their destinations inside and out.
Unlike other companies, when you book a call, you’ll always be connected directly with your chosen Local Expert. We never pass anyone on to a junior sales associate or some anonymous back office team. With us, what you see is what you get.
Ready to plan with Samuel?
Here’s how to schedule your consultation:
