Spain & Portugal Advisor | Cultural Journeys

Hello, I'm Matthew, 

I have a passion for the Iberian Peninsula and all it has to offer guests on its storied shores. 

Hi, I'm Matthew Noteboom, founder of Terra Explored Travel in Phoenix, Arizona. I specialize in creating thoughtfully planned journeys for travelers who want to experience Spain and Portugal beyond the usual list of highlights. What draws me to Iberia is the connection between place, people, and everyday life.

A great trip isn't just about seeing the major sights. It's about having enough time to understand a neighborhood, linger over a good meal, discover a regional wine, learn the story behind a historic place, or find a town most visitors pass by.

My own travels and client planning have taken me through Portugal, including Lisbon, Porto, Évora, and Óbidos, and I've developed a particular interest in the country's food, wine, history, and less-rushed way of experiencing a destination. I also bring firsthand experience traveling throughout Europe and professional experience building customized international itineraries.

My approach is simple: I listen first, then build the trip around you. How you like to travel matters just as much as where you want to go. Some travelers want a private guide and a deep dive into history; others want a great food and wine experience followed by an afternoon with nothing scheduled. Some want to see both Spain and Portugal, while others will have a better trip by staying longer in one country. My job is to help you make those decisions. Terra Explored is especially well suited to curious travelers who value culture, food, wine, history and local experiences and who would rather have a well-paced itinerary than spend their vacation rushing from one hotel to the next.

One of my favorite examples is a Portugal and Spain itinerary I planned that connected Lisbon, Porto, Santiago de Compostela, Salamanca and Badajoz. The route worked because it balanced historic cities and beautiful landscapes with reasonable driving times, comfortable hotels, and enough time to actually enjoy the journey. If you're looking for someone to simply book a trip, there are plenty of options. If you'd like someone to think carefully about how your Spain or Portugal journey should come together, I'd love to hear what you're imagining.

Terra Explored is a good fit for curious travelers who want more than a checklist of major sights, especially couples, friends, and families interested in food, wine, history, local culture, and a more relaxed pace.

Rather than filling an itinerary with every major attraction, I look for experiences that help travelers understand how a place lives-whether that's a neighborhood market, a family-run winery, a regional food tradition, a local guide who can put history into context, or simply allowing enough time to experience a town without rushing through it.