Here at Intura, we pride ourselves on our status of ‘trackfinders’. But what exactly is a track finder?
Well, as the name would suggest, we literally go about our various destinations searching for tracks and trails to then put together great self-guided walking and self-guided cycling holidays for you to enjoy!
Here’s a little bit more about what a track finder does
1. Trail recognition
In each of our destinations, France, Italy, Corsica, Portugal, Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde, the track finder searches for the best walking trails and cycling paths, will try and test them, writing up the route notes as they go, which then make up our famous Roadbooks! The track finder will carry out some research on the internet first, looking into walking holidays in France, or cycling tours in Portugal, studying the different trails and paths, points of interest, must see landmarks or attractions, restaurants… then, during the low season, when the influx of bookings subsides a little, the track finder heads off to the chosen destination with a backpack, sturdy walking or cycling gear, maps and all the handwritten notes so lovingly prepared in advance and spends a few days or sometimes even a couple of weeks getting up close and personal with the routes.
2. Multilingual
Our track finders speak many languages including, French, English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and German, meaning that when they head off to one of our destinations, they can communicate with the locals. This is one of our core values at Intura, to offer you an authentic and ‘real’ self-guided walking or self-guided cycling experience. Of course, the walking and cycling itineraries are important, but the added value are the people that you will meet along the way, from the owners of a quirky guesthouse, to the local wine makers and the friendly taxi drivers who transport you and your luggage along the way.
3. Meeting with our partners and suppliers
The trackfinder will visit the various hotels and guest houses along the way, some of whom we have worked with for over 10 years, and some who are new to our itineraries. It is important to us to create and maintain an excellent professional relationship with our partners, as we exchange hundreds of emails throughout the season and in visiting many different accommodation types, we can offer various levels of comfort for your trip, from the simple and rustic to the prestige and chic!
4. Fine dining
The other very important part of your tour that is tried and tested with great enthusiasm by all our track finders is the restaurant! We like to recommend excellent places to eat on your hiking holiday or cycling stay, and there are so many restaurants in each destination that we feel it is our duty to you, our future walkers and cyclists, to sample as many as we can and select our favourites!
5. On the lookout for anything new
Our track finders are always on the lookout for a new accommodation, restaurant, wine cellar, snail farm (yes, snail farm!) that can be added to an itinerary to create exciting, authentic and once-in-a-lifetime walking and cycling tours to best suit you. Browse our website and see for yourself the amazing job that our track finders do!
