Who are we:

Hello! My name is Diogo Guerra, motorcycle guide, instructor,  content creator and self-proclaimed national treasure ! I have been exploring Portugal for the past 20 years, and nowadays my greatest joy is to share what I have found and learned along the way.  

Myself and the OFFroad-OFFcourse team truly care about your enjoyment, and know that no 2 riders are the same!... So we keep our tours limited to small groups (4-5 riders per guide) and include a very effective training day to make sure everyone can enjoy the trip.

Why in Portugal?

Portugal is considered by many to be "the last off road paradise in Europe"! And yes, with great weather almost all year, great food, chill population, safe,  clean, and with thousands of unpaved trails going in every direction, the fame is totally justified 😀

Most of my tours are "riding oriented", meaning we will spend most of the day on the bikes, with ocasional stops to smell the flowers  or have a coffee by an iconic landmark... on the flipside, we love food, so every meal will be a deep dive into the local Portuguese gastronomy!  

From Lisbon's "Humberto Delgado" Airport to Santarem

By train: 

1. From Lisbon's Airport get a subway (or Taxi/Uber/Bolt) to "Oriente" train station (10min away) 
2. Take a train to Santarém (ticket office on the 2nd floor). Costs 8-16€ and takes about 1 hour. 
3. Make sure to hop off at "Santarem", not "Vale de Santarem"
4. At Santarem's station just take a Taxi (usually parked just outside the station) or a Uber/Bolt to go to the designated hotel (usually Hotel Umu, 5min away from the station). 

• Link to Lisbon's  subway map (see the red line)
• Link to the  train schedules (usually 2 per hour. The "IC" is slightly faster than the "R").

By Uber/Bolt:  

1. Catch a UBER, BOLT  to bring you directly to the hotel. Bolt is usually cheaper (45-95€, divided by the number of passengers). 

• Location of Umu Hotel (where I usually host my guests):  UMU Hotel
• Location of my garage:  My garage
  

How difficult are the tracks and activities?

Don't worry about that, really! Your experience or age probably won't be a problem. 

I have been doing this for many years and I know that the great majority of my guests won't be 25 year old motocross superstars (at all).
We want people to have fun, to increase their riding skills and to feel challenged, but it is our job to make sure no one gets exhausted or is forced to do things they are really not that inclined to. I am a leisure off-road instructor, not a hard enduro or a rally coach. 

This is how I guarantee your success:

1. We talk beforehand to discuss and find solutions for any concerns you might have.
2. My team and I are 100% focused on your emjoyment. When we are working, we are there for YOU. 
3. Our tours are limited to small groups (usually 4-5 per guide) and the bigger tours will have a support vehicle
4. As an instructor, I know how to help. Every difficulty will be a learning opportunity
5. Most tours begin with a training day to make sure everyone has the necessary skills for each adventure
6. Most tours include a welcome dinner for the whole gang, to brief, break the ice and of course, feast in some fine portuguese food and wine!
7. There will be plans B and C for any situation 

Accomodation and food:
The hotels I pick for my tours are always conveniently located in the heart of our daily destinations (being it a city, town or rustic village), at a walking distance from the venue where we will have dinner. 

I usually pick 3/4* star hotels (or charming rural accomodations). Expect them to be convienient, well located, clean, comfortable (AC and private bathroom in every room), with all the necessary ammenities (towels, shampoo, etc), but please don't expect 🛠️ Unguided Rental Conditions golden toilets and champagne Jacuzzis 🙂
By default, my tours prices are calculated for twin/shared rooms. If you want a single room it will cost an extra ~35€/night.As for the food... I am super proud of the Portuguese gastronomy, soI l will provide plenty of opportunities for us to taste it properly throughout our journeys. I like authentic stuff, so instead of eating truffles and caviar to the sound of violins, expect soul-filled, real traditional places, DELICIOUS food, big servings and good local wine.

Mandatory for all tours and rentals:

• Driver's license, valid and appropriate for the vehicle you wish to drive (A2 for the Honda CRF300L)
• Your documents (Passaport or ID)

Re

• Recommended: Travel/Personal insurance that covers this sort of activities (Tip: Credit card providers usually provide travel insurance with good conditions)

Our bike's setup:
All bikes have 80/20 tubed tires (offroad/onroad), and suspension upgrades  (some are lowered for smaller riders, some are stiffer for heavier ones). For navigation they have USB power sockets (type A) and can be fitted with universal phone holders or quadlocks  clamped directly on the handlebar. Note: it is advisable that you bring your own phone/garmin and craddles/supports). 

All bikes have top metal racks and will be provided with 40L drybags with their own fixation system (best strategy is to place a soft bag inside our drybag, and this way you only take the inside bag to the room)  We will also provide a TOOL KIT with all things necessary for general repairs/adjustments around the bike (including wheel removal), 2 spare levers, 2 inner tubes, tire spoons and 1 small compressor.   

General considerations:

To rent a motorcycle for unguided off-road use you should be a moderately experienced rider with enough mechanical knowledge to solve common issues (like  flat tires, misaligned or broken levers, adjusting the chain, etc).  To follow my tracks you also need experience with some navigation app or garmin device (we use DMD2 or Osmand but any nav app that supports .gpx files will do the trick).

Rental rules and conditions: 

1. Driving license: You need a motorcycle license (A2 or superior)
2. Payments and deposits: You will be asked to pay 100€ as a reservation deposit. Upon arrival you will be asked to pay the remaining cost of your rental + a security deposit of 400€/bike.
3. Returning: Bikes must be returned washed and fueled (Penalty = 15€ + missing fuel).
4. Working hours: Bikes can be picked/dropped between 9am and 6pm (Delay fee = 15€/30min).
5. Road assistance and rescue: If you need local assistance we will charge you a 100€ fee + 1€/km (distance from Santarem to your location). If this happens due to mechanical malfunction that you are not responsible for, the assistance won't be charged.
6. Rental insurance (Included): From May 2025 onward, all rentals come with an extra rental insurance that will give you "full scratch insurance" (dont pay for scratches, scuffs and marks) and limits this liability over broken parts to 400.00€. If the bike gets stolen or suffers water damage (from being submerged) your liability drops from 5500€ to 1500€. It also lowers the 3rd party insurance deductible from 1500.00€ to 800.00€. All these conditions apply as long as you stay on the trails/plans we provide and ride within the limits of the law and common sense. 
   
7. Damages: Despite the rental insurance, you will be responsible for broken parts or rescue/recovery. Damages will be charged according to the price list HERE  
8. 3rd party insurance: The bikes come with a basic 3rd party insurance with a 800€ deductible. This insurance can only be used to pay for 3rd party damage, not the bike you are renting.
9.  This insurance gives you "scratch insurance"  
10. Personal insurance: It is highly recommended that you hire your own personal travel insurance covering outdoor/motorized sports. Sometimes credit cards/banks offer these services at very reasonable prices.
11. Bike replacement/repairs: In case of an accident or breakdown, we will try to repair/replace the bike as fast as possible so you can continue to enjoy your holiday. .  
12. Rental contract: You can check the full rental contract HERE

Additional questions

We are here for you, don't worry. Just send us an  email and we'll get it done 🙂