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active 10 hours ago

Janelle Norman

I originally came to Spain to improve my Spanish and stay for a year or two. Now I´ve been here almost two decades! With over 15 years of experience designing custom journeys throughout Spain and Portugal, I help travelers experience the Iberian Peninsula in a way that feels authentic, seamless, and personal. I have called Madrid home for many years, meaning I can offer an insider’s perspective while understanding the expectations of international travelers.
I’ve explored both countries extensively and have also lived in Granada in the south, and San Sebastián in the Basque Country, two destinations that are still some of my favorites. I’ve also spent a significant amount of time in Porto and love traveling throughout Portugal.
When I’m not planning trips, you’ll find me rock climbing, discovering great local restaurants, visiting wineries, or exploring lesser-known corners of Spain and Portugal.
At Espíritu Travel, I craft personalized itineraries that balance iconic highlights with carefully chosen experiences and accommodations, creating meaningful journeys tailored to each traveler.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in luxury travel, gastronomy, wine regions, culture, unique experiences, historical sites, special interest trips and accessibility. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"I began my career in travel by leading food and wine tours in Madrid. From there, I joined a luxury travel company specializing in tailor-made journeys across Spain and Portugal, where I deepened my expertise in crafting personalized itineraries. I also had the opportunity to work regularly from the Porto office, which allowed me to get to know Portugal firsthand.
Working in travel is a natural fit for me, as I genuinely enjoy helping travelers discover the places and experiences I’ve come to know and love throughout Spain and Portugal
"

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"On a trip to the Douro Valley in Portugal we visited a family run winery and were given a tour by the owner. We visited the cellars and he showed us some barrels of white port wine at the back that his grandfather had made in 1973. This wine is not for sale but he climbed behind the barrels to siphon off some for all of us to taste. It was so special to taste something that is a living history of the winery, that so few people get to experience! And it was delicious! "

Top itineraries and travel advice
Family itineraries
Luxury itineraries
Road trip itineraries
Honeymoon itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Janelle

Fantastic trip to Spain!
Spain | May 23 - May 31, 2026

MarySue
MarySue A.
Boston, MA | Reviewed on Jun 03, 2026
We had a fantastic trip to Spain visiting Madrid, Segovia, Seville, Cadiz and Vejer de la Frontera. Having local guides is a great way to learn history and they share recommendations for dining. We especially liked Maria in Madrid and both Maria and Lola in Seville. We enjoyed the Flamenco show and tapas tour as well as the tour of the cathedral and royal palace. The private transportation was comfortable and always timely. Jesus and Pedro Lozano were professional and enjoyable to travel... Read more

We had a fantastic trip to Spain visiting Madrid, Segovia, Seville, Cadiz and Vejer de la Frontera. Having local guides is a great way to learn history and they share recommendations for dining. We especially liked Maria in Madrid and both Maria and Lola in Seville. We enjoyed the Flamenco show and tapas tour as well as the tour of the cathedral and royal palace. The private transportation was comfortable and always timely. Jesus and Pedro Lozano were professional and enjoyable to travel with.

Janelle was easy to work with and helped us put together a trip that worked for us. She is very knowledgeable of the area and offered great suggestions. We loved the boutique hotels and dining recommendations provided.

Hotel Reviews
Room Mate Alba
Madrid
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Casa Romana Hotel Boutique
Sevilla
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Parador de Cádiz
Cádiz
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
La Casa del Califa
Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz

Beautiful hotel. A bit noisy late night due to restaurant diners.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Radisson RED Madrid
Madrid

Hotel was clean Standard room. Just not our preference. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Very busy part of the city. Just not our preference.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Unusual decor
Activity Reviews
Segovia Highlights Day Excursion: a Fairy Tale Getaway
Segovia Highlights Day Excursion: a Fairy Tale Getaway
Madrid

Definitely worth the trip. Beautiful city and nice train ride from Madrid.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Train was easy to navigate and comfortable
Walking Madrid’s Old Town
Walking Madrid’s Old Town
Madrid
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Seville Flamenco Experience & Tapas
Seville Flamenco Experience & Tapas
Seville

Great to see the show. The tapas tour introduced us to food we would not have known to try. Maria was a fantastic guide!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar
Monumental Seville on Foot & Visit Real Alcázar
Seville
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Lola was a great guide. Offered a lot of information at a nice pace.
Local specialist: Janelle Norman

The Best Experience. Thank you Janelle
Spain | Mar 26 - Apr 24, 2026

Bobbi
Bobbi K.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on May 27, 2026
Janelle thank you. Thank your team too!
Our trip throughout Madrid, Porto and Northern Spain was better than we could have imagined.
Every hotel was amazing. The meals and restaurantrecommendations were spot on. Add in the unique private experiences (fun sidecar) and small tours, and all of that adds up to a very special trip. Janelle and her Team went above and beyond in a multitude of ways. Here is just one example:
Day one I left/lost my glasses 🤓 n my inbound flight. They...
Read more

Janelle thank you. Thank your team too!
Our trip throughout Madrid, Porto and Northern Spain was better than we could have imagined.

Every hotel was amazing. The meals and restaurantrecommendations were spot on. Add in the unique private experiences (fun sidecar) and small tours, and all of that adds up to a very special trip.

Janelle and her Team went above and beyond in a multitude of ways. Here is just one example:
Day one I left/lost my glasses 🤓 n my inbound flight. They immediately reached out to the airline, our driver and the airport to initiate a search. They followed up a number of times-alas they were truly lost. BUT they also located an optometrist that could have glasses made, onsite, within an hour. Plus they made the appointment and sent me directions.

We would not have seen or done so many things. We were prepared for every day and knew what awaited us even if we ventured just outside of our hotel!we rented a car and flew to a destination and also had a few private drivers! When WE drove we received ideas where to stop along the way. It really was about the journey AND the destination!

Their app was so cool! No maps or books or notepads. Everything was right in our phones. And more.

I did not know what to see or where to stop and stay at all. Initially Janell asked lots of questions and learned about us first. Then we talked about general destinations and such. She created an itinerary we could see and understand. The hotel website and photos were there. We made a couple of adjustments and damn-she created a plan and trip
I had been struggling with for months

Every question we had was answered quickly and I have now learned a truth: using a travel Agent like Janelle made planning for the trip almost as easy and enjoyable as the trip itself.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Casa del Marqués
Santillana del Mar
Authenticity & Character
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Playa Sol
Cadaqués

The very best location! Gorgeous views and a wonderful staff!

Authenticity & Character
Everything. I should also add the breakfast was wonderful!
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Zinema7
San Sebastian (Guipuzcoa)

The staff here is wonderful! They were so nice and were able to recommend and make reservations for us. The hotel is perfect. Clean, modern, and comfortable. Great location too! We would stay there again!

Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
PortoBay Teatro
Porto
NH Collection Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela

The only drawback in this hotel, which is absolutely not their fault, is that we didn’t get to stay in inside of the town area. This was because it was Easter Sunday and we were late on our end, which is no reflection on Janelle or the hotel. The hotel itself was lovely. Seems like a perfect place for Business or families. It is newer so it’s modern and clean.

Authenticity & Character
U this seems to be a perfect if you’re visiting students in College or in town for a conference… But for our purposes, we were just tourists… But the hotel was nice
Location
The hotel is very nice. The location, for us only, wasn’t really where we wanted to stay. But this is no fault of the hotel or Janelle‘s. We booked the trip late and felt that we were lucky to get a hotel room at all. With that said we would’ve rather stayed a little closer in town, but that’s no one‘s fault except ours.
Staff
staff was really nice in all areas of the hotel
Cleanliness & Comfort
It was immaculate
Parador de Cangas de Onis
Villanueva de Cangas de Onís
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Janelle Norman

The app Ride on GPS, provided directions for ...
Portugal | May 1 - May 15, 2026

G
Greg Y.
California | Reviewed on May 16, 2026

The app Ride on GPS, provided directions for a bicyclist, which significantly varied from a hiker and was somewhat dangerous as it exposed one to bicyclist who do mot expect hikers.
I deleted ride on gos, and replaced with All Trails, which provided accurate information.
I can not stress the importance of using app that provided accurate information.

Local specialist: Janelle Norman