Who we are
Filipe (pronounced Fee-LEE-p, not FelipEH!), is originally from Portugal, where he trained as a nurse before moving to the UK in 2014. He continues to work in the busy healthcare world whilst dedicating his spare time to giving back to his other passions of aesthetics and Scouts.
Filipe joined Scouts at the age of 10 and it was here that his love of nature, the outdoors and exploring new paths began. That passion continues to this day and as a Scout leader he now enjoys providing the same opportunities to learn and explore in the younger generation of Scouts in the UK.
It is through the Scouts in Portugal that he first experienced the Camino de Santiago as a teenager and it wasn’t until many years later when he embarked on a second Camino Portuguese as part of the 3 Amigos that he was reminded just how special the journey was and how many memories there are to be made.
He now wants to help other pilgrims no matter their age or ability get the very most out of their Camino experience and help make memories that will last a lifetime.
A little secret? My amazing business partner started out as my boss — now we’re co-founders and close friends, walking this new journey together.
Meet Claire
Born in Africa, raised in Australia and now living in the UK with her family, Claire is a former workaholic and current balance seeker.
In early 2019 after years of running on the hamster wheel and burning the candle at both ends, Claire started to recognise the warning signs of burn out and decided a 3 month break travelling the world ought to help unplug and give her tired brain the space to find life again. Coming from a family of long distance endurance walkers, she decided to take her dads advice and spend one of those months walking the Camino de Santiago from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. That experience was a turning point in her life such that cannot truly be put into words.
For those who have done a Camino before they will understand the full depth of that statement and for those to come, you will!
The Camino was such a transformative experience for her that when she moved to the UK and completed yet another gruelling project or two and life felt hard, she turned to the Camino – this time the Camino Portuguese, and this time with good friends for company along the way. Yet again the Camino delivered!
Now… she dreams of building something special with her camino companion, co-founder and good friend Filipe that helps others get the most out of their journeys along the way.
Meet Filipe
How it all started.
It all began with blisters, an idea and an unforgettable adventure: walking the Camino Portugues from Porto to Santiago de Compostela.
Along the way, we experienced a whirlwind of emotions - joy, laughter, and even a few tears that now bring back fond memories and smiles.
As early risers who love our morning coffee and prefer to avoid the heat, we often started our walks around 5 or 6 am. However, we quickly discovered that finding places open for coffee or breakfast at that early hour was nearly impossible. Many mornings, we had to walk for 2-3 hours before we could enjoy our first cup of coffee.
This sparked the idea. But why stop at just coffee? We realized we could offer so much more to fellow pilgrims—breakfast, packed meals, emergency supplies, and essential walking gear. And so, Camino Pilgrim was born. From that initial spark, we continued to dream and expand our vision, aiming to make every pilgrim's journey as enjoyable and memorable as possible, making the journey your own!