Portuguese-run, locally guided
Not a call-centre with a Portugal page. Paulo and a small local team plan and walk these trails themselves, and guide in both English and German.
Our story
It started with a lighthouse
Farol means lighthouse. Ours stands on Ilha do Farol, an island off the Algarve coast that holds a special place for our founder, Paulo Palhota: the winter’s wild beauty, the bloom of spring, and the rare Audouin’s gulls that nest there each year.
Paulo spent years working in tourism before starting Farol Discover in 2018. The company came from something simpler than a career plan: the best way to understand Portugal is slowly, on foot, with someone who actually knows the path.
That is still how we work. We plan each route around the trail itself, down to where the light is best and where to stop for a good lunch, and keep our groups small enough to stay personal.
Paulo PalhotaOwner, Tour Guide & Explorer
Licensed in Portugal
RNAVT 10982RNAAT 148/2024
Group size
Max 12 per group
Official trail partner
Rota Vicentina · Via Algarviana
Google rating
Google reviewsRated on GoogleVerified reviews
In partnership withRota VicentinaVia AlgarvianaTurismo do AlgarveTurismo do Alentejo
Why walk with us
Local, small, and properly organised
Three things shape every Farol Discover trip. They are also the things walkers tell us made the difference.
Built for small groups
Never more than twelve walkers. When a group is larger, we split it and add a second guide, so the pace, the conversation, and the dinner table stay personal.
Looked after, start to finish
Luggage moved from one stay to the next, accommodation arranged around your dates, and someone reachable while you are on the trail. We are a licensed agency, and a registered tourism-activities operator.
2018
Guiding Portugal since
12
Walkers per group, maximum
5
Regions across Portugal
Where we walk
Two regions, one country, on foot
We stay in Portugal and know it deeply: from the wild Atlantic coast and cork-oak hills of the Alentejo to the fishing villages and inland trails of the Algarve.
What walkers say
In their words
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The people
A small team, on the ground
Farol Discover is deliberately small. Paulo leads on the trail. A tight team keeps everything running behind it.
Good to know
Both. Our guided walks travel in small groups of up to twelve, with a local English and German speaking guide. Our self-guided programmes give you detailed route notes, maps and GPS tracks, with luggage transfers and support arranged. You walk at your own pace, and we handle the logistics.