Our Team
Kate Goad – Owner, Director and Co-founder
Kate´s love of walking started in the mountains of the Lake District near her home in Lancaster, England. She graduated from Manchester University and spent several years teaching adults with learning difficulties and managing international exchange projects. She has since travelled, worked and walked all over the world but in 2005 set up home in the mountains of Asturias in Northern Spain, where she can combine her passion for walking in the nearby Picos de Europa with exploring the trails of Europe. She first walked the Camino Francés in 2006 and has since shared her enthusiasm for the Camino with many groups of pilgrims from all over the world. She added two little pilgrims to the family in 2011 and 2013 and is based in our Spanish office. She will be your main point of contact from booking your tour to meeting your guides.
Jackie Byrne – Guide Tour Coordinator and Systems Manager
Originally an engineer from the US, Jackie embarked on a gap year adventure that led her to traverse the globe by bicycle and boat. Asturias, Spain, captured her heart, becoming her permanent home where she now resides with her husband and children. She loves being a part of Andaspain’s dynamic team, focusing her passion on organizing tours, enhancing back-end systems, and ensuring an unforgettable experience for pilgrims.
Karyn Rutherford – Self-Guided Tour Coordinator
Karyn is a Chicago native who has always had a deep love for animals and nature. Since she was little, she has enjoyed exploring and going on walks in as many national parks, nature preserves and trails as she can. She studied psychology and bilingual education before moving to Spain over 20 years ago. As a practicing Christian, she appreciates not only the natural beauty that the Camino offers pilgrims, but also the spiritual enrichment and sense of fellowship as well. Karyn’s role at Andaspain is to organize the logistics of guided and self-guided tours. When she’s not working, she loves to travel and spend time at home baking.
Kris Montero – Self-Guided Tour Coordinator
Kris, Asturian by birth but with Galician roots, has a degree in Audiovisual Communication with a specialization in cinema. During the last 15 years she has combined her passion for the seventh art and her love for the mountains by running a mountain refuge, and her love for literature by writing a novel called "Teko and the Picos de Europa". Since she was a child she has had a very close bond with Galicia and especially with the Camino de Santiago.
Lu Sutton – Trip Development and Guide
Lu is English by birth but now considers herself to be an international citizen. She grew up hiking and camping with her family and has made this zeal for the outdoors her profession for over 20 years. Lu has pedaled, trodden trails, and guided groups from Chile to Canada, Norway to New Zealand, the Alps to the Andes, and beyond. Her adventures led her to the Camino de Santiago in 2011 and she's been hooked ever since. Eventually settling down in a quiet mountain village in Asturias, Lu helps develop, research and organize tours, guides Andaspain groups, teaches English and spends her leisure time hiking with her dog or creating magic in her kitchen. Trained in hospitality, wine, and food, she loves to share her warmth and passions with travelers and pilgrims alike.
Borja Balenciaga - Guide
Borja is a native of San Sebastián and originally studied and worked in Chemistry. For a while he combined his work as a water analysis laboratory technical director with his other jobs as a hiking and diving guide. In 2017 he decided to dedicate himself to his passions and began traveling, discovering and learning new skills. He has travelled around the world, visiting many countries and even working in some of them and a diving instructor in Thailand and Indonesia. He is passionate about the Camino de Santiago and has lots of experience on the Camino Francés, Norte and Portugués. He also teaches free diving in his Canary Island home. Borja will be leading our newest trip – the Camino de Gran Canaria this year! When he isn´t walking or diving he loves reading and writing.
Jorge Granda - Guide
Jorge was born and raised in Asturias. Here, he found his passion for the mountains and the sea. Jorge has a Bachelors Degree in Marine Science and is a trained sports technician. In 2006, he began working as a professional hiking guide. When Jorge is not working as a guide, you can find him hiking on his own, underwater fishing, rock climbing, skiing, cycling and cooking when he feels he wants to slow down! Jorge believes that a fundamental pillar when exploring this beautiful earth is to leave no trace behind and to be part of the graceful elements amongst nature. Outside of the Camino season, Jorge spends his time spearfishing in Northern Spain.
Alex Porras - Guide
Alex was born in Barcelona, Spain. As a kid he loved travelling and spending time in nature with his family. Eventually, Alex turned his passion into a career and guiding trips became his profession. When Alex is not walking on the Camino de Santiago, he can be found guiding wildlife safaris in East Africa and polar experiences around Lapland. Alex believes the best way to get to know anywhere is on foot!
Emanuel Pierobon - Guide
Piero is originally from the Dolomites area, in the Italian Alps. Based in Spain since 2003, he has been working as tour leader since 2013, leading groups on a wide range of tours and also developing his own routes in Italy and Spain. Guiding people on the Camino and other trails allows him to combine a few of his major passions: hiking, landscape, history & art, and gastronomy. He also has a professional background in urban planning and in his spare time develops his side-activity as an illustrator and painter.
Jorge Jimenez - Guide
Jorge was born and raised in the south of Spain where he developed a deep love for wide-open plains and vast landscapes. After university, his journey led him to the sea, where he worked as a boat captain and freediver. His passion for exploring new horizons eventually inspired him to become a Camino guide. He has travelled and worked all over the world and loves to immerse himself in different cultures and share experiences with others. Jorge now bases himself in the Canary Islands where he has co-designed our new Camino de Gran Canaria tour. In his spare time he can be found free diving and hiking.
Azucena Collar - Guide
Azucena is originally from the west of Asturias in northern Spain. After studying tourism Azucena began training and working as a mountain guide in the high mountains of Spain, France and Italy. When she is not guiding on the Camino de Santiago she can be found in the Alps guiding groups on the trails around Chamonix Mont Blanc or skiing, mountain biking or hiking in her native Asturias. She loves traditional culture and folklore and is passionate about nature, history and sports. She also loves music, cooking and meeting people from around the world.
Roi Seijas - Guide
A native of Galicia with over 15 years of travel experience spanning 35 countries, Roi transitioned from a career in International Trade to one in tourism. Today, he channels his passion for people and his diverse educational background into guiding tours along the Camino de Santiago. He is also an expert city guide in Santiago de Compostela. Roi prioritizes a people-first approach, emphasizing empathy and effective communication in his leadership. Beyond the trail, you can find him undertaking new challenges in self-improvement, including pursuing his degree in Geography.
Miguel Calvo - Guide
Miguel is originally from Barcelona, where he studied IT and worked for several years before pursuing his true passions: travel, outdoor sports, and cultural immersion. After spending time abroad, he co-managed a restaurant in his hometown, but its closure during the health crisis led him to a new path. He then trained as a mountain guide in the Pyrenees and now leads tours across Spain, Italy, and Portugal, specializing in the Camino de Santiago. In 2022, his deep connection to the Camino inspired him to settle in Santiago de Compostela, where he continues sharing unforgettable experiences with travelers from around the world. He truly believes that doing things with passion always leads to great results.