Why me?
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. Ah, have you seen the
intro video
?
The greatest reason for booking a tour/training with me is the great personal care you will get. I only work with small groups (4-6 riders per guide) so things are kept very personal and personalized, with everyone getting the attention they deserve to have a great time and learn as much as possible.
Portugal itself is amazing. C onsidered by many to be "the last off road paradise in Europe" ! And yes, with nice weather, great food , welcoming people, safe, clean, and with unrestricted unpaved trails going in every direction, the fame is totally justified.
My tours are very "riding oriented", meaning we will spend most of the time on the bikes. Nevertheless, there is a decent cultural aspect in the form of shorts stops in important landmarks, and of course, strong hearty meals to taste the delicous local gastronomy (most important part of the tours, if you ask me).
Travel Information (From Lisbon to Santarem)
By train:
From Lisbon's Airport (Humberto Delgado Airport) you can get a subway (or Taxi/Uber/Bolt) to "Oriente" train station (10min away, ~1.80€ by subway), and from there you can get a Train directly to Santarém (~50min, ~13€) . You can then take a Taxi (usually parked just outside the station) or a Uber/Bolt to go to the designated hotel (usually Hotel Umu, 3min away from the station).
Here is a link to Lisbon's subway map (see the red line) and a link to the train schedules (usually 2 per hour, from 6am to 11pm).
Notes:
By Uber/Bolt:
You can also order a UBER, BOLT or a Taxi to bring you here. Bolt is usually cheaper (45-55€, divided by the number of passengers). A few days before the tour I will create a whatsapp group with the participants so they can share information and maybe organized a shared ride.
Location of Umu Hotel (where I usually host my guests): UMU Hotel
Location of my garage:
My garage
How difficult are the activities?
Don't worry about that, really! Your experience or age 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).
Of course I want people to have fun, to try and learn new things, but
it is my job to make sure no one gets exhausted
or is forced to do things they are not comfortable with. I am an instructor and tour guide, not a hard enduro coach.
This is how I guarantee your success:
a) Before every tour I will talk to you and understand your skill, expectations, etc. and I will adjust the plans accordingly.
b) I will be 100% focused on your happiness. When I am working, I am there for YOU.
c) I only work with small groups (up to 6 riders), and I will hire additional guides for bigger groups)
d) As an instructor, I know how to help. Every difficulty will be a learning opportunity
e) Most of my tours begin with a training day to make sure everyone has the necessary skills for each adventure
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 place 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 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.
How do payments and deposits work?
Reservations will only be confirmed after guests pay a reservation deposit. For tours the deposit is fixed at 300€. For rentals (withouth guide ) the deposit will be 100€. This sum is non-refundable, but you can use it as a credit credit for any other service provide by offroad-offcourse within 1 year.
For solo rentals and other unguided adventures I will also request a
400€ safety deposit
(to be paid upon arrival and returnable at the end of the tour)
I prefer bank transfers for deposit payments. Paying by Paypal or credit card is also possible but unfortunately I will have to charge you a 5% fee on those. On the registration form you will find the necessary bank info. For local payments (rental deposits, or 2nd installments), I accept cash only.
Weather: Portugal is usually very hot in the Summer (July-August) and cold (but not freezing) in the Winter (December-February). Rain can occur, but even during winter its not that common, or at least, the stong showers usually dont last very long. Odds are you will enjoy the weather, and thats why I operate my tours all year round.
What should you bring on the tours:
Protection gear: For your own safety, everyone must wear: Full face helmet, Armor or Armoured jacket, Adventure/enduro boots, Kneepads and gloves. I recommend that you bring your own stuff, but if you can also rent the kits from me.
How we deal with luggage: On bigger tours (like the 5 day one for instance, where we sleep a few nights in different places) we will use a support vehicle to carry your luggage, as well as spare gear and a spare bike. On some situations, we will carry our own luggage and for that the bikes will be equipped with top metal racks, 30L dry bags and the super practical rok-straps. So far, no one had any trouble carrying what they need (but feel free to share your concerns and we will work it out).
These things are mandatory for all tours and rentals:
How are the bikes equipped:
All bikes have
80/20 tires
(offroad/onroad), and
suspension upgrades
(some are
lowered for smaller riders).
For navigation they have
USB power sockets
(type A) and can be fitted with
universal phone holders or quadlocks
(nevertheless, it is advisable that you bring your own phone/garmin and support). All bikes have
metal racks
(top+side) and rokstraps (ideal to carry the
30-40L drybags I can provide)
.
I will also provide a TOOL KIT with: Basic hallen set, spanners and bits 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 off-road use you should be a moderately experienced rider with enough mechanical knowledge to solve common issues (like flat tires, broken lever, misaligned levers/handlebars, adjusting the transmission, etc). To follow my trakcs 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:
Additional questions
I am here for you, don't worry. Just send me an email and I will personally make you you get all the info you need.
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