Hey there, I'm T.J.
Your guide to the Algarve's wild side
Before you get in my van, you might like to know a bit about me.
This isn’t a big tour company: It’s just me. When you book an experience, you’re exploring with me, hiking with me, sharing stories, laughs, and good food with me — and perhaps a few new friends along the way.
Since 2014, I’ve spent thousands of days exploring the Algarve’s wildest places, searching for forgotten trails, remote corners, dramatic views, and hidden places most visitors never stumble upon on their own.
My goal isn’t simply to show you beautiful views. It’s to help you experience this place more deeply, through movement, curiosity, quiet moments, stories, local knowledge, and a healthy dose of 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 adventure, you’re in the right place.
What Guides Me
A few beliefs that shape every West Coast Adventure
Nature is something to experience, not just look at.
I believe 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.
I believe the best places usually ask for a little effort, and that the reward always feels sweeter because of it.
We all need more wonder.
Modern life moves fast. I believe we all need more moments that remind us 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 good food. What I didn’t expect was that the Algarve had a wild side.
I fell hard.
What began for fun slowly turned into a passion. Naturally, I began sharing what I had discovered with others: first fjust friends, then friends of friends, and onward.
As I went, I found the passion expand from the place to the act of sharing, itself — to the crafting of the experience, to the storytelling, to guiding people into wild place and to holding a space for learning and discovery.
It never started as a business, but as a simple expression of my own joy, aliveness, and unique take on this place. The rest flowed.
Experience & 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 lead the Algarve Adventure School, helping local youths learn to explore the outdoors safely, confidently, and responsibly.
Most importantly, I care deeply about creating experiences that feel not only memorable and meaningful, but also safe, inclusive, and thoughtfully led.
In the mountains with a group of student explorers.