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active 3 hours ago

Hector Molina

Born and raised in Spain, I had the opportunity to travel all over the world
and discover the highlights and secrets of every place I visited. I truly
believe that each of the trips we make changes the vision of how we see the world and changes our lives. In my opinion, traveling is more than just visiting different places, I think it is about creating unique memories that we can share with other people forever.

I am a lover of history and heritage with experience as a local guide in cities like Madrid or Toledo, which has helped me to recognize the needs of our travelers and make them live a unique experience. I like to help people when they visit my country because I expect the same from them when I visit their countries.

Tourism has become a fundamental part of our lives, and my job in the company is to provide not only a trip but also to immerse you in the history, culture, and gastronomy of every place. Each trip is different, cities and people we meet along the way make our experience unforgettable.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in creating unique experiences in Spain and Portugal that allow the traveler to learn about the history and traditions of each country."

How did you get involved in travel?

"My studies in history and heritage have always made me interested in tourism. After my experience as a tour guide, I would like to share all my knowledge so that travelers can have a real experience in all the places I have visited. I think tourism and culture have a very important relationship so joint both of them is one of my passions."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"Probably my best travel experience has been backpacking in Thailand and Vietnam for two months. In all this time I had the opportunity to know in depth the culture and traditions of both countries. Visiting the north of Thailand with its beautiful landscapes, its incredible temples, and special gastronomy. Also, the south of the country to know its paradisiacal beaches of crystalline water. In Vietnam I was able to meet different people and cultures with incredible places, in my memory will always be Ha Long Bay. I also visited the Mekong Delta area with its great history and wonderful people. This experience allowed me to change my vision of traveling and allowed me to grow as a person."

Hector is part of the following groups: the Azores Travel Agents, Portugal Travel Agents, Spain Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Family itineraries
Road trip itineraries

Favorite experiences

History & Culture Walk

Discover the wonders of San Sebastián, the Basque seaside city where Spanish royals once vacationed, on this guided walk. You'll wander the historic streets of the Parte Vieja (Old Town), passing ornate cathedrals and sweeping plazas. Continue to the Parte Nuevo (New Town) next for Belle Époque...

Half-Day Wine Tasting In Frascati from Rome

Enjoy an excursion to Frascati, a town famous for its wines since Ancient Rome! Enjoy learning about the history of Frascati while tasting local products like slow-roasted pork and Frascati jug wine. You’ll meet local artisans and shop owners who are eager to share their stories. Your guide is...

Private Flamenco, City & Tapas Experience

Dig deep into Spanish culture alongside your guide to enjoy a special evening of passionate flamenco, a stroll through an authentic Sevillian neighborhood, and delicious tapas and wine. Begin with a flamenco show in the historic Triana neighborhood (the birthplace of many renowned flamenco...

Recent trip reviews for Hector

10/10…AWESOME!
Spain | Apr 14 - Apr 23, 2025

Thomas
Thomas G.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Apr 30, 2025
Hector planned an amazing trip for us to Spain and Portugal. Our highlights of the trip included the tapas tour in Madrid, the private winery tour in the Douro valley, the private cooking class in Lisbon, and the sunset cruise in Lisbon. The itinerary flowed very well and it was so easy to be at the right place at the right time. The instructions were great. The accommodations were great, especially Hotel Urso in Madrid and the Quinta de Pacheca wine barrels in Douro Valley. Breakfast being... Read more

Hector planned an amazing trip for us to Spain and Portugal. Our highlights of the trip included the tapas tour in Madrid, the private winery tour in the Douro valley, the private cooking class in Lisbon, and the sunset cruise in Lisbon. The itinerary flowed very well and it was so easy to be at the right place at the right time. The instructions were great. The accommodations were great, especially Hotel Urso in Madrid and the Quinta de Pacheca wine barrels in Douro Valley. Breakfast being included every morning was an extremely nice perk. Never had to think about that meal. Overall, shoutout to KimKim, Espiritu, and Hector. I would absolutely recommend to a friend.

Hotel Reviews
URSO Hotel & Spa
Madrid

10/10. This place is amazing. The level of service was the nicest I’ve ever experienced.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Room service was excellent
PortoBay Teatro
Porto

Nice hotel in a great location. What it lacked in aesthetics, it made up for with location and the quality of the food.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
PortoBay Marquês
Lisbon

Hotel was fine- nothing spectacular. The bar was very small and it felt very tight. The location was good, but a bit far from the water. I liked how it was close to the park, however.

Authenticity & Character
Not memorable decorations or interior. Very bland room.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Wine House Hotel - Quinta da Pacheca
Lamego

AMAZING. The trip wouldn’t have been the same without this. The room service breakfast was incredible.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Explore Porto's Culinary Scene and Bolhao Market
Explore Porto's Culinary Scene and Bolhao Market
Porto

Great activity.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tapas Culinary Experience
Tapas Culinary Experience
Madrid

This was great. A must add for every trip.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sandeman Cellar Wine Tasting
Sandeman Cellar Wine Tasting
Porto

I was expecting this to be better. It was a very short tour, you didn’t get to see much, and it just wasn’t that interesting. They showed you barrel, but didn’t show you any part of the winemaking process and just tried to sell you on sandman port.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise
Wine Experience in the Douro Valley & River Cruise
Douro Valley

10/10. Miguel was amazing. This was incredible.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto

I wish I had done a walking tour. The ebikes were cool, but it was hard to navigate the mass crowds.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Portuguese Cooking Class at a Chef's Home
Portuguese Cooking Class at a Chef's Home
Lisbon

This was amazing. Artur was such a great instructor.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sunset Sailing Cruise
Sunset Sailing Cruise
Lisbon

I thought this was really fun. The boat was much more crowded than I expected, but it was beautiful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Hector Molina

Great trip plan
Portugal | Apr 11 - Apr 18, 2025

S
Sherrie C.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Apr 21, 2025
Our trip plan was great and all of the guides were so friendly and gave us a great insight into Portugal in many ways.
The trip app was so helpful and made things so easy to follow with links and directions.
Read more

Our trip plan was great and all of the guides were so friendly and gave us a great insight into Portugal in many ways.
The trip app was so helpful and made things so easy to follow with links and directions.

Hotel Review
Terrace Mar Suite Hotel
Funchal

It was adequate but nothing special about it and the location was average as there wasn't a view of the water. Room was spacious but decor was very plain.

Authenticity & Character
updated decor and design
Location
view of water
Staff
staff was helpful and friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
bed wasn't very comfortable
Local specialist: Hector Molina
Hector
Hector Molina
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on Apr 22, 2025

Hi Sherrie!

Thank you so much for your review! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed your trip and that the guides helped bring Portugal to life with their insights and friendliness.
I’m also glad the trip app made everything easy and smooth for you. It was truly a pleasure helping you plan this journey, and I’d be delighted to assist with any future travels you may have in mind!

All the best,
Héctor

Portugal for Christmas Holidays
Portugal | Dec 21 - Dec 28, 2024

Liza
Liza L.
Shaw, DC | Reviewed on Jan 13, 2025
After weeks of planning with Hector, our first trip to Portugal during Christmas was fantastic! Hector was patient, flexible, responsive and very helpful, including Marta and the Espiritu Team too.
Highlights:
-Bessa Hotel Liberdade was top-notch!
Tuk-tuk tour of Lisbon was a fun and unique way to see the city. They had one blanket that was great Marta was very knowledgeable about the different sights we saw on our tour of Cascais and Sintra, from local artists to the history of... Read more

After weeks of planning with Hector, our first trip to Portugal during Christmas was fantastic! Hector was patient, flexible, responsive and very helpful, including Marta and the Espiritu Team too.
Highlights:
-Bessa Hotel Liberdade was top-notch!

Tuk-tuk tour of Lisbon was a fun and unique way to see the city. They had one blanket that was great

Marta was very knowledgeable about the different sights we saw on our tour of Cascais and Sintra, from local artists to the history of different famous buildings. She also brought us to an authentic Portuguese lunch spot where we enjoyed a variety of good foods. She was very flexible and accomodating when we expressed an interest in seeing Pena Palace rather than another place. Pena Palace is worth it for the first time visitor, especially during off-season winter holidays. Lines were manageable. Waiting for the shuttle took the longest, but if you're fit, take the 10min walk up the hill. Excellent views and many interesting details inside the palace itself.

Our driver for Obidos, Fatima and Porto was friendly and very helpful.

Braga and Guimaraes were lovely day trips and our guide was excellent! He reserved a fantastic restaurant for lunch in a historic building and gave us a superb tour of the places.

Enjoyed climbing the Clerigos tower on Christmas and going to a Portuguese mass.

The bike tour in Porto with Biclas and Triclas was also great and the company did a good job helping us get to our train on time while still seeing all of the beautiful viewpoints in Lisbon. Piedro, our guide was excellent in navigating us through the city safely and shared his wealth of knowledge about the city sights. Our first time on E-bikes, it was perfect for the hilly terrain.

Our train back to Lisbon was a little delayed and we didn't realize that there were 2 stops in Lisbon and got off early at Oriente instead of the other one!

Things that could be improved:
- Mercure Hotel Santa Catarina in Porto was not 4 star worthy! Staff were pleasant, buffet breakfast was good, but compared to Bessa Hotel, it really was more 3-star caliber. Our first room had a strong moldy smell and they moved us without hassle, but having that experience in the first place was unpleasant. Floor was linoleum out of the 1970s, with no robes or slippers and no view. The room our kids and grandmother were in had a great city view.

Definitely recommend Portugal for the winter holidays.

Hotel Reviews
Mercure Porto Centro Santa Catarina
PORTO

Very surprised this is considered a 4-star hotel. Staff were pleasant, buffet breakfast was good with panoramic city views, but compared to Bessa Hotel, it really was more 3-star caliber. Our first room had a strong moldy smell and they moved us without hassle, but having that experience in the first place was unpleasant. Floor was an odd linoleum with no robes, slippers or body lotion,no view and room was small with a double bed. Surprisingly, practical dental kits were bathroom amenities. Our children’s triple room had a great city view.

Location
Close to the main shopping districts
Staff
Pleasant and professional. Moved us right away when we called about the moldy smell.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Moldy smell, possibly from the bathroom bidet in our first room.
BessaHotel Liberdade
Lisboa
Authenticity & Character
Location
Walkable to shops and Rossi, but for some reason, carshare had difficulty finding the place
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Get to know Porto by E-bike
Porto

Piedro, our guide was excellent! Skilled at navigating us safely through the city and sharing his wealth of knowledge about everything Porto. Our first time on E-bikes, it was perfect for the hilly terrain and we covered a lot of ground! Sara was also great helping us get the bikes together and our carshare back to our hotel.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
E-Bikes were in excellent condition, easy to ride and maneuver
Local specialist: Hector Molina
Hector
Hector Molina
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on Jan 16, 2025

Dear Liza and family,

Thank you very much for such a wonderful review, much appreciated.
We are very glad to hear that we met your expectations and thank you for your trust.
I hope that Portugal will stay in your fond memories for a long time.

Best regards,
Héctor