
Marina Courtaut
Can you think of a better way to live adventures than traveling?
When we travel we open our minds to new experiences and learn new cultures by making the destination we visited our home for a short time. My job as part of the Espiritu Travel team is to ensure that after your trip, you will always remember that destination as another one of “your home”. I am passionate about designing trips that include the highlights of Spain and Portugal, including small places that go beyond the conventions and show the authentic culture of the place.
I am Spanish by birth but my father is from France so my heart is divided. My passion for traveling came from my parents, who have shared their trips around the world with me. Since then, I haven't stopped, always looking for authentic experiences that help me understand the culture of the place I visit. I have had the opportunity to live in the state of Michigan, in Amsterdam and in Paris, and I have traveled through many of the corners of the world and in my country Spain, the cradle of the Flamenco Art.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"We specialize in trips to Spain and Portugal as well as Cuba. In both countries, we have our own offices so we can create all types of tailor-made trips; culture, art, history, culture, architecture, gastronomy, outdoor activities, nature-based, small groups, off the beaten track"
How did you get involved in travel?
"Since I was little, I've had the opportunity to travel through wonderful places and I was always amazed at the exchange of cultures that occurred while traveling, whether traveling as part of a group or solo. I decided to start my career as a professional in the world of travel at the age of 19 when I started studying the Tourism degree in Madrid. Since then, I have worked in different roles in the tourism industry: in travel agencies, as a tourism consultant, and in hotels. In addition, I studied the Master “International Tourism Management”. As part of the Espíritu Travel team, I continue my trip through the tourism industry as a local Travel Specialist in Spain and Portugal."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"It is difficult to choose an experience of all the lived one while traveling ... it is like choosing a favorite song, so difficult!
But if I had to choose one I think it would be the one I lived during the Holy Week in Malaga, it was not the first time I visited Malaga but it was the first time I saw a procession. Malaga is a beautiful coastal city in southern Spain.
I was shocked with the magic of the city during these holidays, especially when the processions happen at night. The city is silent and the music of the orchestra touches you in a magical way accompanied by the light of the torches carried by the brotherhoods.
Regardless of the religious character of this party, it is moving to see how the Spanish live Holy Week."
Marina's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice

Escape to the Azores on this 11-day itinerary that combines a remote island getaway with some of mainland Portugal's essential cultural highlights. Start in the Atlantic...

Enjoy the top offerings of Paris and Barcelona — from historic sites to culinary delights — on this 8-day trip. You'll start your trip in the City of Lights for a visit to the...

This 8-day trip covers the archipelago's three easternmost islands. Traveling by road and ferry, you'll discover historic villages, orchards, forests, mountains, beaches,...
Family itineraries

During this fun, family-friendly 10-day tour, you'll experience the natural beauty of southern Spain and its cultural highlights. Activities like treasure hunts and canyon walks...

Enjoy the family trip of a lifetime over seven days on the Dominican Republic's south coast. You'll do it all, from snorkeling around offshore islands to visiting mysterious...

Five days is more than enough time to embark on family-friendly adventures in the Dominican Republic. It begins in Punta Cana, with activities around the country's famous...
Luxury itineraries

From medieval castles to some of the world's best wine, explore Spain's culture and history on this luxury weeklong getaway. Start in Barcelona, where Catalan-modernist...

Spend a week exploring world-class cuisine at five of the top Michelin Star restaurants in the Algarve. Visit a world-famous wine cellar, explore medieval town squares, and try...
Road trip itineraries

This road trip is ideal for those who want to experience Portugal's two biggest cities and rural countryside at a relaxed pace. After strolling around Lisbon with a guide,...

Escape to the coast on this gorgeous 10-day exploration that includes ample time in Porto and Lisbon and stops through charming seafaring towns with fantastic beaches, delicious...

This eight-day self-drive itinerary takes you from Málaga to Cádiz through a gorgeous section of Spain's southern coast. Along the route, you'll explore Andalusia's White...
Recent trip reviews for Marina
Marina was excellent. Thanks to all of her i...
Portugal
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Sep 21 - Sep 27, 2023
Marina was excellent. Thanks to all of her insights and help we enjoyed a trip we’ll never forget. Marina put us with outstanding guides who made places come to life in food, history, art, photos and stories we’ll remember forever. read more

Hi Joe,
Thank you so much for such a lovely review! It was a real pleasure for me to help you plan this wonderful trip to Portugal and I am glad you enjoyed your trip :) I will pass on your kind words to all the team. I hope you created lovely memories in Portugal which are the best souvenirs from a trip. I look forward to working with you in the future. Warmest regards, Marina
Tour Anadalusia Spain and Beautiful Blancos Pueblos
Spain
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Sep 7 - Sep 19, 2023
Trip Planning
Marina was excellent in working with us on our trip. We made so many changes and she was very patient throughout the process. She was very knowledgeable regarding places to visit in Spain. For example, she recommended seeing the Blancos pueblos, which we knew nothing about. We loved them! She was very accessible when we were on the trip. She responded immediatley when we messaged her through the app. I would work with her again.
The only thing I would improve is the... read more

Hi Geri, thank you so so much for taking the time to write your trip review and your kind words! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Spain. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your guide tours, I will make sure to pass your words on to our guides! Thank you for letting me know about your guided tour in Montserrat I will check with your guide as it is totally unacceptable that the guide was late and this affected your tour. I hope you can visit us in the future to discover... read more
Portugal- Lisbon-Porto
Portugal
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Sep 11 - Sep 18, 2023
Marina did a wonderful job in planning our trip. Things changed when our flight was canceled and she needed to rebook several of our tours. Had a little hiccup with understanding what we wanted but that was due on our end because we were traveling and couldn’t explain expectations to her well.

Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for such a lovely review! It was a real pleasure for me to help you plan this wonderful trip to Portugal and I am glad you enjoyed your trip :) I look forward to working with you in the future. Warmest regards, Marina
A Wonderful Two-Week Honeymoon Exploring the Wonders and Gems of Spain!
Spain
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Jul 31 - Aug 13, 2023

First and foremost, thank you to Marina, our travel advisor, for putting together an amazing honeymoon for us! We thoroughly enjoyed each of the cities, the experiences, and the restaurant recommendations. All the hotels were comfortable, authentic, and the staffs worked very hard to make us feel very welcome. The guides to the person (especially Gaspar in Barcelona and Rafael in Sevilla) were all excellent and we learned so much in each place we visited. The customer service, including from... read more

Hi Paul, thank you so so much for taking the time to write your trip review and your kind words! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your Honeymoon trip to Spain. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your guide tours, I will make sure to pass your words on to our guides! I wish you can visit us in the future to discover new destinations, such as the North of Spain, or Portugal. My kindest regards, Marina from the Espiritu Travel family :)
The beautiful island of Madeira, a trip of a lifetime.
Portugal
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Jul 16 - Jul 23, 2023

I had a wonderful and memorable time in Madeira, in particularly in Funchal. Marina did an exceptional job in selecting my hotels, activities, and guides. I spent three unforgettable days with Lido, from Green Devil Safari. I left the island with tears in my eyes because I wasn't sure that people as nice, accommodating, and generous as Lido still existed in this world. Both Marina and Lido were instrumental in creating memories that will last me a lifetime and beyond. I can't thank them... read more

Hi Kidianga, thank you for your kind words and feedback! I am so happy to hear you had a wonderful time during your time in Madeira, the island is indeed a true paradise. I will pass on your kind words to Lido. I hope you created lovely memories for a lifetime discovering Madeira, its gastronomy, and its people! I look forward to working with you on your next travel adventure :) Best regards from the Espiritu Travel family!
Trip of a lifetime!
Portugal
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Jul 6 - Jul 18, 2023

Marina was a huge help from start to finish! My friend and I were so excited to visit Portugal and Marina took much of the stress out of all the planning. We had great private tours and excellent guides chosen for our many tours in the different places we went visit. We loved so many of the unique experiences provided on this trip, for example, the private tour of Tomar, the Peña Palace, our small group tour of Douro Valley, our private hike in the national park, and our jeep tour on the... read more

Hi Laura, thank you for your kind words and the thorough feedback! I am so happy to hear you had a wonderful time during your time in Portugal. I will pass on your kind words to all the team. I hope you created lovely memories for a lifetime discovering Portugal, its gastronomy, and its people! I look forward to work with you on your next travel adventure :) Best regards, Marina.
We had an amazing and memorable trip to Spain...
Spain
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Jun 9 - Jun 20, 2023

We had an amazing and memorable trip to Spain thanks to Marina! She was so wonderful to work with, very detailed, very thoughtful, and so patient with all of our requests and changes. All of Marina’s recommendations were five stars from restaurants to tours to cities, hotels, as well as well thought out travel arrangements that were most convenient. We first traveled to Madrid where our very kind personal driver took us to our first hotel. The hotel was in a central location next to Plaza... read more

Hi Tricia, first of all, WOW, thank you so so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review and your kind words! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your family trip to Spain. I am glad to hear you enjoyed all your tours and restaurant recommendations, hopefully you tried a bit of all Spanish gastronomy :)
Indeed Palacio Santa Inés Hotel is a fantastic accommodation and has a great location. The view of the Alhambra is just breathtaking! Spain is a wonderful country but... read more
Marina did a fantastic job on our entire trip...
Portugal
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Jun 2 - Jun 14, 2023

Marina did a fantastic job on our entire trip and we loved all of the planned activities and outings
The wine trip and private cooking class were fantastic!
All transportation services were on time a so nice.
Marina provided personal customized service and even helped me get my sunglasses that were left at the hotel in Porto shipped to our next hotel. Her service is excellent read more

Hi Georgianne, thank you for your kind words and the thorough feedback! I am so happy to hear you had a wonderful time during your time in Portugal, all your photos are fantastic! I will pass on your kid words to all the team. I hope you created lovely memories for a lifetime discovering Portugal, its gastronomy, and its people! It's been a pleasure to work with you on this amazing trip :) Best regards, Marina.
Verify Events
Spain
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May 17 - May 25, 2023

Entire trip met our expectations regarding hotel quality, logistics and service by Marina and The Espiritu team.
Our issues were all with booked events.
The coordinator, Carlos, for the Alhambra tour directed us to stand alone at the wrong meeting point without asking a question. Then he failed to look for us while we stood only 15 meters away. Luckily, we found Edo in the Alhambra and had a great experience.
The flamenco show started 30 minutes before our scheduled time.
The tapas tour started 30 minutes after our scheduled time.

Hi Steve, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! It has been a real pleasure working with you on the design and planning of your trip to Spain. The flamenco changed their starting time and did not notify us so we could not let you know about the change of the starting time, I will refund you the activity as it is unacceptable. Regarding the incident with the Alhambra, it is indeed difficult to find your guide with all the travelers meeting their guide at the same... read more
Portugal is truly amazing!
Portugal
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May 9 - May 19, 2023

Our recent trip to Portugal was amazing and exceeded our expectations! The trip started in Porto, and our hotel was nice, our city/culinary tour with Angela was great! We enjoyed the market, oldest restaurant in Porto, and all the food and knowledge that Angela shared with us. Emanuel was a great follow up and shared his perspective of the city , allowing us to explore on our own afterwards. Wilson and the Douro Valley tour was a true highlight with lunch at Maos vineyard. We can hardly wait... read more

Hi Patricia, thank you so much for taking the time to write this fantastic review and include your trip pictures! It has been a real pleasure working with you on the design and planning of your trip to Portugal and I am delighted to hear you have enjoyed every moment of your trip. I will pass your kind words to all the team :) Again, thank you SO much for this impressive feedback on your trip, I will be more than happy to work with you again in the future for the next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina
Amazing experience working with Marina!!
Spain
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May 2 - May 11, 2023

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Marina at KimKim to plan our honeymoon to Spain, and I cannot express enough how grateful we are for her exceptional expertise and incredible dedication. Marina made the entire process a breeze, taking away any worries or stress that we had about planning a trip to a country we had never visited before.
From the very beginning, Marina's warmth and professionalism shone through. As first-time international travelers, my husband and I were feeling... read more

Hi Allison, first of all, WOW, I have no words to thank you for this fantastic review! It has been a real pleasure working with you on the design and planning of your Honeymoon and I am delighted to hear you have enjoyed every moment of your trip. Spain is a wonderful country but it is even more so when travelers see it with your eyes and enjoy it as you have. I will pass your kind words to all the team :) Again, thank you SO much for this impressive feedback on your trip, I will be more than happy to work with you again in the future for the next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina
Great trip well organized Marina is amazing
Portugal
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Apr 23 - May 5, 2023

Great trip well organized Marina is amazing

Hi George, thank you for taking the time to submit your review and to include so many good photos from your trip :) I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed your time in Portugal to the fullest! Let me know if you want to come to Portugal again or visit Spain. Warmest regards, Marina
Amazing trip to the Dominican Republic
the Dominican Republic
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Apr 20 - Apr 25, 2023

Our trip to the Dominican Republic was amazing thanks to Kimkim and our local travel specialist Marina. The trip was well-planned and customized appropriately to our needs and wishes. This service allowed us a stress-free trip preparation experience and enabled us to enjoy traveling to a country where we we not fluent in the language. All of our accommodations, drivers and excursions were awesome! We got the authentic travel experience we wanted, and learned so much about Dominican history... read more

Hi Arlette, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed trip review! I will pass your kind words to the rest of the team :) I appreciate your comments about your experience at Los Tres Ojos National Park, I will make sure to warn the travelers more about this matter. It has been a pleasure helping you plan this fantastic trip to the Dominican Republic. I am happy to hear you had a great time and liked all your activities. The Dominican Republic is truly a unique destination and I am happy you got to see and experience the true essence of the island. Warmest regards, Marina
Fantastic trip through Spain!
Spain
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Apr 15 - Apr 26, 2023

Amazing trip! Guides that deserve special mention were Teresa, our bike tour guide in Seville and Vincente our guide at the Alhambra. read more

Hi Bronwyn! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I will pass on your kind words to all the team :) Thank you for sharing your comments about the meeting point in Alhambra and the Valencia food tour. We never include a voucher of the Alhambra tickets as your guide has the tickets but we will make sure to be more clear about where to meet. It has been a true pleasure helping your plan your trip to Spain and I hope you come back to discover other cities of Spain! Warmes regards, Marina
The guides we had were all excellent and most...
Portugal
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Apr 17 - Apr 26, 2023
The guides we had were all excellent and most of all very kind. Marina did a great job for us. The only hotel that we found to be just ok was the Don Carlos. Uber drivers we contacted for a ride to some of our tours did not want to come to our hotel but asked us to come out to a very busy circle. The problem with that was that we had no internet out there and had a difficult time identifying our drivers. The traffic around the Don Carlos is very congested. We might have preferred staying... read more

Hi Lee! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I will pass on your kind words to all the team :) Thank you for sharing your comments about the difficulties you had finding your way to the Douro Valley and Don Carlos Park Hotel. On your travel documents, I always include the Google Map link to your driving route so you can download the route in advance on your phone and follow the directions without internet but I should have been more informative about this to... read more
Enjoyed Madrid
Spain
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Apr 17 - Apr 25, 2023

Our trip to Madrid and Barcelona included several great private and small group tours which were almost all very kid-friendly and enjoyable. Our Boqueria tour and paella cooking class was the most engaging and fun, while our tour with Matt to Costa Brava and Girona was a beautiful and relaxing chance to visit the quieter parts of Catalunya. Our Madrid hotel was great and centrally located, while our Barcelona hotel was located in a grafitti-filled neighborhood with tons of homeless people... read more

Hi Kimberly (and family)! It has been a pleasure to prepare your family trip to Spain and I am glad to hear you all had a great time, I will pass your kind words to all the team. I appreciate your comment about the hotel in Barcelona, I chose that hotel so you were close to the beach for the kids but it was not the best choice. Despite this, I am happy to hear all the family enjoyed the trip and I wish to see you soon in Spain! Warmest regards, Marina
Best trip to Spain!
Spain
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Mar 5 - Mar 12, 2023
Marina planned an excellent trip to Spain that was truly off the beaten path! For all of our excursions, we had local guides who were personable, knowledgeable, and extraordinarily helpful for any questions we had or recommendations for places to eat. We greatly enjoyed our bike tour of Barcelona that hit many of the famous Gaudi houses, our small group tour of Montserrat accompanied by a wine tour, our private tour of La Sagrada Familia, our cooking class where we made paella, and multiple... read more

Hi Alyssa, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for you and Nisha. I will pass on your kind word to all the team :) Hotel 7 Islas is one of my favorite hotels in Madrid as is difficult to find a local and small hotel like that in such a big city, the hotel director is actually the granddaughter of the hotel's original owner! I look forward to welcoming you back in Spain. Warmest regards, Marina
Everything we hoped for!
Spain
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Aug 26 - Sep 5, 2022

Our trip was everything we had hoped it would be and Marina made it happen! I had a very limited amount of time to plan this trip and she made herself available to answer any questions or concerns we had. I will absolutely use kimkim again and highly recommend it. Marina is the icing on the cake!
Response time while in Spain was also exceptional. We had a couple of questions during our travels and we received help almost instantly.
Thank you for making our trip so memorable! read more

Hi Elisha, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for your family. I will pass on your kind word to all the team :) I am sorry to hear that your experience at the Hotel España Ramblas was not pleasant, we have worked with this hotel before and always had good feedback so I will let the hotel know about your comments since it is unnaceptable. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina
Fabulous Trip to Spain thanks to Marina and kimkim!
Spain
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Dec 18 - Dec 31, 2022
We’ve traveled extensively through Europe and always planned our own trips but we didn’t have time to plan this year. Luckily we found kimkim which focuses on independent travelers.
Our journey started in Barcelona. We flew to southern Spain rented a car and stayed in Granada, Seville and ended our trip in Madrid.
Marina planned a wonderful trip for us. From the moment we started planning and throughout the actual trip Marina and her team were very responsive and always available to... read more

Hi Kathleen, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for your family. I even learn my self some interesting facts about Almodovar when preparing your travel documents ;) I will pass on your kind word to all the team. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina
Great experience- planning and traveling
Spain
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Sep 5 - Sep 28, 2022
Great experience- everything met or exceeded our expectations. Marina and staff were accessible and responsive to any questions or concerns during the planning and the trip itself. We loved our custom itinerary and the travel app they provided us for the trip. We’ve recommended Kimkim to a number of family and friends. read more

Hi Brian! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words to the entire team!! I'm really happy you enjoyed your time discovering our country and hope you created lovely memories. I am glad you liked el Parador de Ronda hotel, it is indeed a beautiful hotel and has the best location in Ronda. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina