
About
Guided tours through the living landscape of our planet and our ancestors.
Mission
Percursos pela Paisagem Viva da Arrábida
Visitas guiadas pelo património espeleológico, geológico e natural, proporcionando experiências ímpares pelas incríveis paisagens e transformações da Arrábida e das suas grutas ao longo dos tempos geológicos. Viagens pela memória da passagem dos nossos antepassados no território arrabidense e pelas raízes da nossa origem.

The Guide
Rui Manuel Polido Francisco was born in Sesimbra in 1971. Speleologist, since 1999 he participates and leads explorations that lead to the discovery of dozens of caves in Arrábida, among which, of great importance, Gruta do Frade and Gruta do Meio.
It integrates several international expeditions, in Spain with incursions to Cantabria, in France in the regions of the Grands Causses, Alps and Ariége, and also, at the invitation of DAV Höhlengruppe – Frankfurt am Main, to the Austrian Alps for several years.
In Africa, he also carries out speleological excursions in Cape Verde, being a mentor and organizing member of the Speleological Expedition “Angola Subterrânea; Planalto da Humpata 2010” (by CEAE/LPN), is part of the “PaleoLeba 2019” research project in Angola, supported by National Geographic, and which involved universities in Germany, Portugal and Angola.
Participates and is a co-author in various investigations and scientific works, such as the Archaeological Charts of Sesimbra and Setúbal to volcano-speleology. Over the years, he contributed enormously to the revelation of the speleological archaeological heritage of Arrábida, discovering, for example, the oldest written document in Sesimbra, an Arab epigraphic tablet from the 16th century, one of a kind in Portugal.
With the work “Arrábida Subterrânea”, Rui Francisco reveals a new world to us, guiding us through the depths of time on a fascinating journey through the geo-history of Arrábida and through the 90 caves that he methodically studied and documented. With the hiking trails now available, we are guided through the long geological history of Arrábida, inside and out and through places where the roots of humanity intersect with the life of the planet.
Sustainability
All routes are low impact, covered on foot, with groups made up of a limited number of participants and respecting the natural spaces.
The hiking trails of Underground Arrábida are experiences that reconnect participants with the history of the planet and the importance of natural forces in our past existence and future subsistence, thus trying to contribute to the sustainability and coexistence of human society with the natural world.