Paddling away in an intimate, friendly and familiar environment, away from the crowds
– July 26, 2023 | Text Beatriz Maio, Photos Xavier Madeira
BrotheRootz Sup Tours was born in January of 2022 and began operating around Easter that year. It was a joint project by three friends who are passionate about the sea and, in particular, the Algarve coast. Having all grown up by the beach, since childhood, all they have always wanted is to spend their days around this environment.
Egas Pedroso, 29 years old, decided to leave behind his life as a dentist to fiercely embark in this business with his cousin, Francisco de Araújo, a 24-year-old who studied Oil and Gas Engineering in Lisbon, both from Carvoeiro. The third member of the team is 29-year-old Caio Carvalho, originally from Itacoatiara, located in Niterói district, in Rio de Janeiro, known for its surf culture. He came to Porto to complete his undergraduate degree in Geography but, as he is also from a beach town, he could not resist the allure of the Algarve for too long and decided to apply all the knowledge he acquired during the course here.
Their shared passion for nature was the fuel they needed to start this adventure. When they met four years ago at Vale de Centeanes beach, this project did not cross their minds. Francisco and Caio were working for different boat tour agencies and Egas used to meet them there. The relationship between the three of them quickly strengthened and, in 2021, when the idea came up, they were confident they could compete with other companies as they had plenty of experience, knowledge and, most important, love for this job.
Francisco explains that the name BrotheRootz refers to “being genuine” which is not only related to their essence, but also with the type of experience they want to provide: “Familiar, friendly, intimate and relaxed.”
Instead of just visiting the coastal hotspots, BrotheRootz Sup Tours provides “a cool day at the beach”.
Carvoeiro’s Praia do Carvalho was the spot chosen for the tours’ departure for those who want to explore the famous caves under the expert guidance of the three friends. Each cave tour takes around two hours plus 30 minutes of preparation and allows clients to take a closer look at the Benagil Cave, the most well-known in the region.
Before they arrived, there were no activities on this wild beach, which is one of the reasons why they picked this place: the privilege of being able to avoid the Benagil beach crowd and the dozens of boat trip companies that operate there.
Their clientele are mainly North Americans, followed by Canadians, Germans and British tourists.
Quality is one of their focus as well as being away from the busy area. Another of the company’s policies is to work with small groups so they can all use the boards and avoid pollution and noise. Their main tours are at 7.30am and 9am with a maximum of 10 people, so they can avoid all the hustle and bustle of boats and people on other tours.
As young entrepreneurs and nature lovers, the three friends do not hide their concern for the preservation of the coast, suggesting the creation of legislation to decrease the oversaturation and degradation of the area.
“We want to preserve our coast and for that we have to think long term and not focus on quick profit”, they reflected, explaining that BrotheRootz are “building something solid, step by step, to reap the rewards later on”, which they believe is exactly what sets them apart from other companies.
Bringing innovation to tourism is also a core value of the company and, in their vision, limiting the number of people who can go to Benagil cave daily and raising the prices, as it happens with other attractions around the world, would allow the place to be less crowded and better cared for.
In the Carvoeiro area everyone knows Egas, Francisco and Caio for their kindness, enthusiasm and proximity to locals and tourists alike.
“We have good relations with everyone we come in contact with”, stated Francisco revealing that the group wants to “unite the community” through shared values of “being happy, healthy, financially independent and caring for the region”.
The future is bright and inspiration is not a problem.
“This is just the beginning,” they admitted, sharing first-hand their plans to create a Carvoeiro community focused on local talents and many activities that will include art, music and sports.
Their goal is to bring diversity and youth to Carvoeiro through the BrotheRootz brand, which they want to grow from the sea to land.
