Today she is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at NOVA FCSH, researching heritage, rural communities, collective practices, and the cultural dimensions of common land management. Her work focuses on the human relationships that sustain landscapes — from local knowledge and traditions to shared governance and social resilience.
At Keen Tours, Rita brings particular attention to human stories, cultural heritage, and the lived experiences of local communities. She is also deeply involved in coordinating logistics and nurturing relationships with producers and partners, ensuring that each experience feels authentic, grounded, and welcoming.
He moved from Sintra to Braga in 2007 and spent as much time in the mountains as possible — hiking, climbing, exploring landscapes, or simply bathing in pools or hot springs – now, since moving to Gerês, having even more opprtunities to so.
His curiosity about landscapes evolved into a scientific path. Today he is a PhD candidate in Geography at NOVA FCSH, researching and modelling landscape change in rural mountain areas, with a focus on community-managed lands, socio-ecological systems, and the ways human practices shape territory over time.
At Keen Tours, Pedro focuses on guiding and interpreting natural heritage — from geological formations and ecological processes to the dynamics that shape mountain landscapes – and venturing into history and culture – both defining and being defined by the landscape.
He’s, above all, a guide at heart: he enjoys sharing places and uncovering the hidden layers of the territory (sometimes with more enthusiasm and detail than his listeners expect, so, feel free to poke him).
Pedro and Rita share a long-standing connection with the landscapes and communities of the Peneda-Gerês National Park. What began as a personal attachment to the mountains gradually evolved into a shared life project combining ecotourism, community engagement, and research.
Having moved to Covide, in Gerês, in 2022, they have been living within the territory they interpret and study, grounding their work in everyday experience. Their backgrounds shape Keen Tours’ distinctive approach, bringing together scientific knowledge and local perspectives.
Since establishing themselves in the region, Keen Tours has become actively involved in several scientific research and applied knowledge projects that intersect science, territory, and community practice.
They also curate Loja do Parque, connecting people with local products and the living socio-ecological systems of mountain landscapes.
