HEY THERE, I'M T.J.
How cool to be spinnin´around on this rock with you.
Before you get in my van...
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT ME
First of all: this isn’t a big tour company. It’s just me. When you book an adventure, you’re exploring with me, sharing stories, laughs, and good food with me — and perhaps a few new friends along the way.
Since 2014, I’ve guided over 7,000 hikers across this land, one small batch at a time. I've spent countless days exploring the Algarve’s wildest places, searching for forgotten trails, remote corners, dramatic views, and hidden places most visitors—and even most locals—never experience.
My goal isn’t simply to show you beautiful views, however. It’s to help you experience this place more deeply through movement, stories, quiet moments, local knowledge, genuine curiosity, and a healthy dose of hands-on adventure.
Expect a day that feels active but relaxed, thoughtfully crafted yet full of surprises, personal, unhurried, and just a little offbeat.
If that sounds like your kind of day out, you’re in the right place.
What guides my guiding:
A FEW BELIEFS I'VE HELD SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING
Nature is something to experience, not just look at.
The natural world is more than scenery for sightseeing. It’s something to move through, feel, learn from, listen to, and engage with.
Adventure should feel real.
The best places ask for a little effort, and the reward always feels sweeter when you've worked for it.
We all need more wonder.
Modern life moves fast. To really feel with the magic, however, you need to make space to slow down, pay attention, and feel deeply.
Travel can be more meaningful.
I believe travel can be more than just fun. At its best, it inspires us, reconnects us, and leaves us feeling a little more alive.
Passion is contagious.
Most of all, I believe that what you love, others will, too, if you just show them how... And that’s basically all I'm trying to do here.
On my first ever tour, April 6, 2014.
How I ended up here
I grew up in the American Midwest, but my adult life has been shaped by traveling and being outdoors — the two pursuits that make me feel most alive and connected.
Like many visitors, I originally came to the Algarve expecting sunshine, beaches, and maybe some surf. What I didn’t expect was that the Algarve had a wild side. I fell hard.
What began as fun turned into a passion. Naturally, I began sharing what I had discovered with others: first just friends, then friends of friends, and onward from there.
As I went, I found the passion expand from this place to the act of sharing — to the art of crafting a meaningful experience, to storytelling and teaching, to guiding people into wild places and creating a space for wonder, discovery, and the simple satisfaction of moving in nature.
It never started as a business, but as a natural expression of my own experience in this unique place. The rest simply flowed from there.
A bit about my qualifications
Since 2014, I’ve guided more than 7,000 hikers (seriously!) from all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels — from adventurous solo travelers and couples to families, retreat groups, and first-time hikers who weren’t quite sure what they signed up for.
I’m a certified hiking guide and outdoor educator with professional training in hiking & backpacking, mountaineering & rock climbing, and Wilderness First Response (advanced wilderness first aid) from the National Outdoor Leadership School.
I also founded and co-lead the Algarve Adventure School, helping local youths learn to explore the outdoors safely, confidently, and responsibly.
I care deeply about creating experiences that feel not only memorable and meaningful, but also safe, accessible, and thoughtfully led.
In the mountains with a group of student explorers.