What we do

The Otterside is a response to streamlined, one-size-fits all travel planning and tourism in Portugal.

As Portuguese natives with cosmopolitan hearts, our goal is to enable anyone and everyone to experience Portugal as active participants, rather than passive observers; as guests, rather than outsiders. We wish to be an alternative to one-size-fits all tour packages, focusing your your interests and taking the ‘must’ out of ‘must-see’, empowering your to explore the country on your own terms.

Our services include small-group private tours and monument visits, food and wine tastings, craft workshops, language classes, and a plethora of other experiences, favoring partnerships with independent artists, artisans and independent service providers, as well as other small businesses.

We are also committed to making useful information and resources freely available on this website. All suggestions and recommendations are based on our own knowledge and experience, and never based on profit incentives.

Our team

João

João is a Lisbon-born translator, interpreter, tour guide, and founder of The Otterside. He promises not to be in the habit of referring to himself in third person.

Aside from Portuguese, his working languages are English, French, Spanish, and Levantine Arabic, having lived, worked and studied in multiple different countries over the years.

Some of his previous work experience includes subtitling, teaching (mostly, but not exclusively, languages), labor rights research, and residential care for unaccompanied child asylum-seekers.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a graduate diploma in Ethics, Law and Political Thought.

João’s rants about the Sack of Lisbon in 1147 are a bit long in the tooth, but he is generally pleasant to be around.

Chibo, the Goat

Marketing Manager

Gena

Eugénia is a freelance artisan, long-time arraiolos enthusiast, retired public school teacher and first-generation owner of Casa da Petra–her home and safe haven in the lush, volcanic island of São Jorge, in the Azores.

She enjoys long walks, British crime dramas, world literature, and traveling.

Besides managing Casa da Petra as a holiday rental when in mainland Portugal, she teaches workshops on arraiolos and other traditional needlework techniques and occasionally sells her own creations.

She holds one master’s degree in Anglo-Germanic Studies and another in Education Sciences.

Our values

Hospitality

Our mission is to help you make the best of your time in Portugal. The kind of support and advice we provide encompasses travel planning, orientation and transportation, communication, personalized recommendations, in-country assistance, and more.

Authenticity

Eat where locals eat, shop where locals shop, and get around like you grew up here. See what you’re interested in seeing and avoid crowds, queues, scams, surcharges, tourist traps, and time wastes. Link up with service providers directly, avoid mediation fees.

Transparency

We strive to engage with history, politics, and social issues in good faith and with intellectual honesty, without seeking to provide facile answers to complex questions. We provide literary sources for all information conveyed during our tours.