Cristina and I, Pablo, share our passion for what we do here at NomaTrails. These aren’t just trips; they are our life, our calling. We believe we offer some of the **best trail running vacations** you’ll ever experience, not because we’re fancy, but because we’re real.
Please contact us if you have any questions. We’re always here to chat.
Craziest trail running vacations company?
You know, we don’t really see ourselves as a company. We don’t have clients; we have runners, friends. When you come running with us, you don’t just sign up for a trip; you become part of our team, part of our family. We become a group of friends hanging out for a week in some beautiful corner of the world. It’s about sharing, about living, about seeing things through our eyes, the eyes of people who truly belong to these places.
I always say these are memories and stories you can tell your grandkids. These are stories that will change you, that will transform you. So, be careful, because you will go back home changed. It happens all the time. We’ve seen marriages saved, new families started. It’s that kind of deep experience.
Because instead of trying to be likable, or part of a bucket list, we just think about ourselves.
For more than a decade, we’ve done it this way. We do what we love, and then we try to find those like us – those who get it. Our idea is always to travel from point A to point B, seeing a place like absolutely no one else can, other than runners. No matter how much money someone wants to invest in a running trip, they will never get close to the experience we prepare for our running groups. We’re not just showing them a route; we are showing them our lives, our connections, our world.
These are our values. We stick to them.
1. Being a local matters
Running is social. For us, it’s not just about the miles; it’s about the roots. We are locals in the four different parts of the world where we run. This isn’t just a business for us; it’s a personal connection. We can show you an area because we belong to it. We can say, “This is my grandma’s village,” or “This is the school where my kids went.” That’s the real deal.
We create running adventures and expeditions that are truly unique because they have our signature, a piece of who we are. They are the results of many years of exploration; we grew up on those trails in places like the Costa Brava, and our kids are running them now too. It’s a heritage, not just a tour.
2. Running means this
The reason we run is simple: it’s the people we meet and the places we truly see. We don’t care about calories, performance, or heart rate. For us, running is about traveling by foot, just like our ancestors did. Our goal is to get running back to its origins as a humble means of exploration and discovery. We just use our legs, our body, our lungs, our heart as a means of transportation.
We believe we are social animals. We run as a team, maybe at different paces sometimes, but no one is ever left behind. Humans are tribal, and we are a tribe of adventure runners, moving together, experiencing together.
3. Respect, never feel entitled on your trail running vacations
The people we meet out on our runs are a privilege. We feel an immense amount of respect for the people who live in the jungles, beaches, mountains, and deserts we run through. We believe those joining our adventures must have eyes to see and learn, to understand that people have different ways in different cultures. That’s what’s so cool about it. That’s why we always use local family accommodations, because local people are the very reason we run to those places. They are the heart of the experience.
I remember one time in Morocco, running with Abdu. We were deep in the Atlas Mountains, an itinerary you just can’t imagine. It was one of the most extraordinary days of my life. We were running in the middle of nowhere, towards a place I didn’t even know, literally five and a half hours in the opposite direction from where any tourist bus would ever go from Marrakech. We just kept going, trusting the path, trusting Abdu.
Then, after hours of running, we discovered this beautiful valley, this incredible oasis where people live just like they did 500 years ago. The Berber people there, they are the most beautiful human beings. I’ve been trying to learn Berber for nine years, and I still struggle, but their hospitality speaks volumes. We were running through this deep canyon, tired, with our backpacks, not knowing what was next. Then we saw this family, a young girl, maybe 12 years old, working by an irrigation channel.
She saw us, these dusty, sweaty runners, and immediately, without a word, she ran to gather wood, made a fire for us, and offered us tea. Can you imagine? Our kids, they’re little monsters, but this girl, she just *did* it. That’s the kind of connection, the kind of human experience, you get with NomaTrails. It’s about time traveling, seeing a way of life that’s so far removed from our century, and being welcomed into it with open arms.
That video, that’s us finishing one of those incredible Morocco runs. We had crossed the Atlas Mountains, all the way from the north to the south, into Kalat M’Gouna, and then through the desert during the night. When you finish something like that, people call you legends, but no one truly understands what you did. How are you going to tell that story? It’s impossible. Only you, the ones who were there, know what it felt like, the places you saw, the people you met. That’s the magic of these Morocco trail running vacations.
4. Embrace the day
If there’s a waterfall, we go for a swim. If the bar is open, we have a beer. If someone offers tea, we always say yes. We don’t run to exercise; we run to be in the place and the moment where things happen. Then, to be able to say, “YES!” That’s the feeling we chase.
We always say that we only eat to be hungry, and it’s true. Food is largely the center of our adventures. A steaming Tajine in Morocco, a freshly caught Red Pargo fish in Costa Rica, a rich Paella in Catalonia – these are the reasons why we run. Every place is also its food, so expect to have extraordinary good quality meals, shared with new friends around a table.
5. Staff is gold, best trail running guides.
Over more than a decade of creating our adventures, we have found extraordinary people like Abdu Oukioud in Morocco and Sergio Sanchez here in Girona. They are our greatest treasure. Knowing them, running with them, learning from them – it’s a privilege. They embody everything NomaTrails stands for, making every journey truly special.
Find Your Next Trail Running Adventure
- Explore the lush landscapes of the rainforest: Run Costa Rica
- Experience the thrill of the Sahara and Atlas Mountains: Run through Morocco
- Immerse yourself in Mediterranean history and stunning coastlines: Adventure in Sicily
- Conquer incredible mountain elevations and ancient trails: Trail run the Pyrenees
Ready to join our next trail running adventure? Download trip brochures
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Learn more about the Atlas Mountains and their incredible geography. Or find out more about ultrarunning communities around the world.
