Brona ghopts for change of pace with newlife in Spain
Bronagh Carroll opted for a change of career and living with her Spanish partner a year ago to set up an Irish travel company Magic Hill.
They are now based in Asturias in northern Spain where they recently launched new Camino and hiking trips in Asturias and Cantabria.
Bronagh is a member of a long standing and respected Blackrock family who have strong ties with the business world.
Brother Brian is Managing Director of the Dundalk branch of Sherry FitzGerald Carroll, having taken over from his dad Jim, who has 46 years experience working in property, auctioneering and insurance. Another brother Niall has his own IT, photography and Drone business.
But Bronagh chose nursing as her profession and worked in Temple Street in Dublin and in the Paediatric Intensive Care unit in Great Ormonde Street Hospital in London.
Partner Victor Delgado was engaged for ten years in investment banking in the City of London.
However, they decided to leave city life and start their own business. ‘After reading Rolf Potts famous book ‘Vagabonding’ we decided to change the way we had been living,’ explained Bronagh
‘Far away from the sophisticated life of London, we decided to start our own business and embrace the concept of long term travel. We were inspired by the idea that we should fill our life with experiences, not things and have stories to tell instead of stuff to show.’
With a vast wealth of travel experience –over 100 countries visited combined – they embarked on the task of running their own online business while implementing new projects on the ground and living in different locations around the world.
‘Over the years we have distanced ourselves from being tourists to travellers where we immerse ourselves in the culture of countries we visit,’ Bronagh told.
This included a spontaneous dinner with an unknown Japanese man in a Rundown Izakaya in Tokyo; meditating with locals and Buddhist monks in
Thailand, dinner with a Cuban family in their house near Havana that turned into salsa lessons. Also they stayed with a farmer’s family in a rural Nicaraguan Village while teaching English in the local school.
‘All of these experiences have helped us create and shape Magic Hill in a different way to traditional travel companies by offering more cultural, educational and active holidays,’ she pointed out.
‘Using our local knowledge in different countries, we developed personalised packages for those who are looking for alternative holidays. We spent six months in Antigua, Guatemala, where we set up our first location targeting the American and Canadian market in October 2017.
‘These trips provide an opportunity to learn Spanish, stay with local families and volunteer in a local primary school.’
The pair as part of a Social Responsibility Programme work with a local school. They have provided a three month mentoring programme for the management and funding for the school through the packages sold.
A fund raising initiative by Ryan McCutcheon, a pupil at the local Saint Francis National School raised €8,000 for the school, and he went there before Christmas with his mother to do volunteer work. Bronagh while there learned Spanish.
The pair recently launched their second holiday location in Asturias/ Cantabria area of Northern Spain, aimed at the European market particularly Ireland, UK and Germany.
They offer organised eight day Camino trips in Northern Spain.
The pair believe these will be very popular with Irish travellers considering that they are the sixth most represented nationality walking the Camino de Santiago, excluding the Spanish.
They also offer hiking trips for outdoor enthusiasts on Spain’s third largest Mountain range – Picos de Europa and a customized mini break package for four days for those with limited time.
They are currently working on expanding their offering, from San Sebastian to Santiago, to complement these packages to cater for people wishing to stay 14 days.