If you are part of the Living Tours team, our guest or our partner, our next interviewee will not be a stranger of yours. A member of the Living Tours family since 2016, our Tiago Santos, conquers everyone for his charisma, personality, knowledge, talent and especially for the pleasure in performing his duties as a guide.

It is one of the public's favorites, having already earned the distinction of Galo D´Ouro - Top Rated of Reviews Guide, the most mentioned in the comments of our tourists.

Taking the guided tour with Tiago is a guarantee of fun. Together with his passion for Portugal and the pleasure of making him known to those who visit us, he makes a point of entertaining our visitors, with a constant relaxed and lively spirit.

Let's get to know Tiago and his travels a little more?

Where are you from? Tell us a little about your city or region!

Penafiel. Very important city with many legends. Raised the city in 1770, it is one of the oldest cities in the North of Portugal. It was the seat of a bishopric, taking the place of Porto, for a short time. Town previously known as Vila de Arrifana de Sousa. Arrifana was the daughter of Mumadona Dias.

City also known for its historical and cultural heritage, which contains one of the best ethnographic museums in Europe.

It is also located in the Sousa Valley and of course, the Vinho Verde Region.

When did you join the Living Tours family and what is your role?

I have now completed 4 years as part of the Living Tours family, playing the role of guide interpreter.

Why Living Tours? And why Tourism?

Living tours is an ambitious company with a very young and dynamic team.

I am captivated by the fact that I deal with different cultures, from different countries, learning more and more through daily challenges and learning. The autonomy to lead a tour / experience and provide each visitor with a unique and authentic experience was a decisive factor in my choice.

Tourism has always been linked to my training. I have a degree in tourism, and I have a course in cultural heritage, management and dissemination. When I took this course in 2007, I had an idea that tourism was going to grow in Portugal and could help me with what I like most: meeting people, learning and showing how beautiful, important, historical and also gastronomically rich, my country is.

How is your working day?

My workday is never the same. We carry out 8 different itineraries every day, which in itself brings dynamism, adding to the fact that visitors are always different, from different countries, origins, cultures, experiences and expectations. No day is repeated. They are all challenging and pleasurable.

What are your hobbies, how do you like to spend your free time?

Well, in my free time I have the opportunity to rest, read, listen to music, play a little, and of course above all be with the family.

How many countries have you traveled so far?

6 countries

Of all of them, what was your favorite trip and the one that most marked you and why?

They all had their reason. The one that most impressed me was Italy, even for the context in which it was performed. I travel a lot in my country, but one that surprised me was Turkey, due to the different culture, traditions and beauty of the country. In Portugal, the island of São Miguel in the Azores was a unique and fantastic experience.

What is the best experience / tour you had on a trip?

I don't have much experience in doing tours. I always take a tour of the city on the first day that I arrive as a city tour or a hop-on hop-off. An excellent experience I had on tour was to know the city of Philadelphia.

What is your dream trip to take? And what experience are you looking for on that trip?

Macau, India, Thailand. These are destinations that are on my bucket list. For culture, gastronomy, among other things.

What is the best company on a trip for you? with friends, partner, family or alone? It's because?

As long as you don't go alone and go with someone with a travel spirit, it's good company

Cultural destination, beach or nature? And what activities do you like to do?

I like the combination of cultural and nature destinations. I like to do activities related to where I go. Knowing its history, customs and traditions through visits to museums and monuments, but I also like to lose myself in nature and perform adventure and radical activities.

If you could travel back in time, when would you travel and why?

Good question! Difficult to answer, but maybe the 14th or 15th century. Around.

It is the period that accompanies the Portuguese discoveries, but also the initial period of the Renaissance in Italy. Two themes that I really appreciate and would love to witness.

But it is difficult to answer with just one, I would very much like to travel to the 19th century, or even to the 60's. Due to the importance in the Portuguese cultural context and mainly worldwide.

What's the best gastronomic experience you've had on a trip?

There is no better gastronomy in the world than Portuguese gastronomy! But if I have to exclude our cuisine, I liked to try some delicacies in Italy and Turkey.

What form of transport do you like most to travel? Car, train or plane? Why?

I really like to travel by plane, for the speed and convenience, but I love to travel by car and often without a fixed destination. Stop and watch.

What is your favorite place to visit in Portugal or Spain, why recommend it?

Have I mentioned that Portugal is the most incredible country in the world? Well, the whole country is fantastic due to its diversity (historical, cultural, natural heritage, rich gastronomy and modern urbanism)

I recommend the following mandatory points: Porto, Braga, Guimarães, Ponte de Lima, Gerês, Douro, Batalha, Coimbra, Costa Vicentina (Alentejo), Nazaré, Beja, Évora, Madeira and the Azores. Portugal is fantastic.

In Spain I recommend what I visited, among them: Salamanca, Coruña, Alhambra in Granada, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Seville, among others.

For you, what is the dish, drink and experience that nobody should miss when visiting Portugal or Spain?

I could say cod and play it safe. But I will recommend seafood (in the coastal areas)

If you are in the North of Portugal you have to try the kid or roast anho.

In Alentejo a lamb stew, the migas. Of course, from other regions, you should not miss the suckling pig, cuttlefish, rojões, and Porto-style guts.

What is your favorite Living Tours experience / tour and why?

Anyone who knows me knows that I am in love with the Douro region. Its landscape is breathtaking, the wines are excellent and the history of the region is very peculiar. I recommend the Living Tours historic Douro tour to everyone.

As a guide, I really enjoy doing the Minho Tour, where we visit Braga and Guimarães. Cities that are at the foundation of Portugal and allow me to show all the grandeur of the Portuguese people and our history to those who visit us.

Thank you Tiago, for your sharing and for your contagious joy and dynamism.