About RuaMar

For travelers, retreats, productions, and gatherings that want their time in Portugal to feel considered, local, and memorable — not just scheduled.

On the ground
A group of six people dining at a table during sunset with a river and mountain range in the background.

We have cultivated a trusted network on the ground across Portugal.

Our local partners, specialists, creatives, hospitality contacts, and collaborators help us deliver with the level of care, polish, and local depth RuaMar has spent years refining.

That combination of perspective, experience, and real local relationships is what allows us to create experiences that feel both elevated and deeply rooted.

Modern residential building with large wooden slats on the exterior, glass balcony railings, and four outdoor chairs with cushions on a patio, surrounded by green grass and mature trees, under a clear blue sky.
A silver bicycle parked on a concrete ledge beneath the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, with a bright blue sky and some clouds in the background.

Meet the Founders

  • Man with glasses standing on a rocky cliff in Sagres holding a camera, overlooking a beach with surfers and cliffs in the background.

    Michael, Co-Founder

    Michael spent 15 years in New York’s film industry, leading international audio-visual productions and film shoots across philharmonic performances, cosmetics and fashion, tech, and luxury goods. He managed complexity, timing, logistics, and high expectations without losing sight of the guest and client experience, developing a producer’s mindset rooted in precision, adaptability, and the invisible details that make everything feel seamless.

    At RuaMar, he brings that same instinct to travel design. He is especially drawn to the pacing of a trip — how a day unfolds, when to linger, what to edit out, and how to create the kind of experience that feels natural, unforced, and memorable for all the right reasons.

    His perspective on Portugal is shaped by curiosity, atmosphere, and a belief that the best travel is rarely about doing more. It is about finding the right street, the right meal, the right view, and the right rhythm — so a place reveals itself in a way that feels personal rather than prescribed.

  • A woman with long, wavy brown hair smiling in front of a large green plant in a well-lit room with a rattan mirror in the background.

    Carmen, Co-Founder

    Carmen spent 15 years leading high-performing teams in marketing, global event execution, and product and brand launches at the highest level, creating experiences where every detail had to be on message and aligned with essential global positioning. That background shapes the way she approaches RuaMar today: with an instinct for brand and storytelling, a sharp attention to the logistics, and a deep understanding of how to turn a client or team experience from simply well done into something genuinely unforgettable.

    She has always been drawn to travel that goes beyond ticking boxes — the kind that invites you to notice how people live, what they value, where they gather, and how a place actually feels once you slow down enough to take it in.

    At RuaMar, Carmen helps shape experiences that feel warm, well-composed, and deeply rooted in place. Her love of exceptional food, cultural texture, thoughtful hospitality, and beautiful detail helps define the sensibility behind everything RuaMar creates.

How we work

RuaMar brings together creative vision, operational rigor, and a carefully cultivated Portugal-based network to create experiences that feel both effortless and meaningful.

We care as much about how something flows and feels as we do about where it takes place — because the most memorable trips, retreats, and productions are often defined by pacing, atmosphere, and thoughtful choices as much as by destination.

Whether someone is discovering Portugal for the first time or returning with a more specific point of view, we want every RuaMar experience to feel considered, welcoming, and rich with local context. That means moving beyond surface-level recommendations and creating something more personal: a stronger sense of place, better rhythm, memorable food, and a deeper connection to the country itself.

 
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RuaMar brings together the street and the sea — the everyday rhythm and the horizon — which is exactly how we think about experiencing Portugal at its best.