| ABOUT US |
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Iberian Adventures - A Little History
Iberian Adventures began life in 1992 as Morespin Ecotours, established in collaboration with "Enlace 92" - a Madrid-based private foundation for the promotion of tourism, sports and international communication. At that time, we (Jeremy and Josefina - see our profiles below) were living in the "Japan Alps", in the province of Nagano - the 1998 Winter Olympic site - working as training instructors, teaching survival language skills and cultural adaptation techniques to prospective overseas aid volunteers for JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers) - the Japanese equivalent of the USA's Peace Corps and the UK's VSO. Our first tours focussed on "green" outdoor, educational and cultural activities in the mountains of the Sierra de Gredos in Central Spain, and were run for small groups of Japanese hungry for alternatives to the mass tourism approach so popular in their country. Over the following years, our concept and product have been continually evolving, and with our move back to Spain in 1997 after over 11 years in Japan, we founded Iberian Adventures with the objective of enabling English speakers to experience Spain the way we like to. |
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Jeremy Dack Venezuelan-born and British-bred, Jeremy has lived around the world, including the UK, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, the Philippines, Japan and the USA, and traveled widely in Southeast Asia. An avid hiker, climber and mountain biker, he has worked as a teacher, translator and guide in Japan, Spain and Portugal for over 15 years, and is a co-founder of Iberian Adventures. |
Josefina Bueno from a tiny village in the foggy mountains of the beautiful northern Spanish province of Asturias, Josefina's interest in foreign cultures led her to begin world traveling at the tender age of 17. She has guided tours in both Japan and Spain, and her extensive knowledge of her country's landscapes, culture and history, and desire to share it with people from overseas prompted her to co-found Iberian Adventures. |
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Richard Guggenheimer born in the USA but brought up in Spain and the UK, Richard considers himself a Spanish native. He has travelled extensively on foot, by bike and car throughout Europe and lived for several years in Sweden and Finland. Not only is he a translator of the highest caliber, but with a strong background in natural medicine, Richard is very knowledgable on the medicinal plants found in the Spanish countryside. He currently guides for two highly-respected international educational tour organisations, in addition to his work with Iberian Adventures. |
Seija Keränen An energetic and vibrant native of northern Finland, Seija is a tireless walker who loves the outdoors. She is an internationally licensed beauty therapist, trained by a renowned Finnish school of cosmetic treatment with additional training from a prestigious German school of natural beauty therapy. She has travelled widely throughout Europe and Spain and naturally, is our resident beauty expert, specialising in reviving tired feet and aching muscles. |
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"Chema" Mancebo A biologist by profession, multi-talented Chema is an expert on the fauna and flora of the Sierra de Gredos. An accomplished climber, his passion for mountain biking and his vast knowledge of the paths and trails of these mountains led him to write the definitive guide to mountain biking in the Sierra de Gredos - Chema coordinates and leads mountain biking activities for Iberian Adventures. |
Miguel Angel Vidal One of Spain's top mountaineers, alpine guides and outdoor instructors, Miguel Angel is responsible for some of our "risk-involved" activities in the Sierra de Gredos. His guides are highly experienced, locally born and raised, giving them an in-depth and unrivalled knowledge of the Sierra de Gredos - and providing a guarantee of a safe and enjoyable experience for clients. |
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