Regions of Speciality

Switzerland, Corsica, Normandy, Brittany

Europe-bound From Birth

Seattle-born and Corsican-settled, Marya has been with B&R since 1999 and has guided trips all over the world—a great warm-up for designing adventures that suit every taste. Whether you’re after full-senses fun like sand-sailing Norman beaches or yodelling to Swiss cows, or prefer to test your culinary knowledge by savouring the freshest oysters, sampling pungent sheep's cheese with fig jam or following your nose through the maquis gathering wild herbs for a picnic, Marya’s rich connections with locals in her region open up the world the travellers. She’s also keen to introduce travellers to historic traditions that still find life and meaning today.

Fun Facts

She’s hiked the GR 20 trail in Corsica, reputedly Europe’s toughest long-distance trail.

She geeks out about regional languages, like Breton, Romansch and Corsican.

She is deeply suspicious of non-chocolate sweet options. Can a trip really be excellent without good chocolate?

Marya Valli's Top Trips

“We ended up in towns that we never would have found without Marya's guidance. ”

Marya's suggestions, guidance and overall plan could not have been better. We asked a ton of questions and challenged some of her recommendations during the planning phase; she was incredibly responsive and thoughtful in her replies, and it was 100% clear after our trip that she was right. We ended up in towns off the beaten path that we never would have found without her guidance.

— Keith S; North Carolina, US