Our 5 days in the Basque Area was not enough thanks to our guide. Mikel..Contact info :Toursbybasques.com or text/call via whatsapp 34 618 55 03 95. He is Secretary of the Basque Country Tour Guides Association
I communicated w/Mikel for 2 yrs before we actually made the trip this Oct due to Covid.
Mikel was the most amazing, well informed, professional guide we have ever had. We stayed in Bilbao and took daily trips via his car. (This is a plus as most times you pay extra for a driver but Mikel was both) Of course we toured Bilbao on foot w/Mikel, then took the funicular to have a look of the city from the top..Amazing. His recommendation of Restaurante Txakoli @ the top was super.
The next days were driving to amazing cities. Yes, everyone talks about San Sebatain which we went to. But, for us the small towns were priceless. Mikel picked Getaria, a small fishing town. We ate at May Flower which overlooks the town. A must
Another day was Guernika, made famous by Picasso. Onto Bertron, Castillo de Burton..12th century castle and ending in Plentzia for lunch. Stopped in Getxo too. All towns that Mikel suggested, that for us, were more beautiful, historical and easier to get around then San Sebastian.
Another day was spent in Haro, the wine area for Rioja. The wineries Mikel picked were small family owned Bodegas. In one they took us down into the caves that their ancestors had used for centuries for wine storage. Laguardia was our last stop. This town made us feel like we were in a movie. Old with small streets, beautiful shops and lots of history.
We couldn't have done this with the ease we did w/out Mikel. If you like histrory, great food, restaurants then Mikel is your person. Yes, people say you can do it on your own BUT you learn so much more w/a guide. We are going back next Oct to see new areas because Mikel made our trip so easy.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4262 posts
Thanks for posting. After our trip to Spain (Andalusia) we are anxious to also tour the Basque area. He reads like our type of guide.
Posted by
OP
40 posts
Barbara
He is amazing. He is the best guide we have ever had..Adjusted to our needs and abilities.
Posted by
Fort Mill, SC
166 posts
Thanks for this post. We are currently in the Basque area, traveling independently on our way from St. Jean de Luz to Bilbao. We originally discovered this area on the RS Basque tour and have returned to San Sebastian three times since then. We are trying to live like a local, as RS promotes. I didn't plan enough time this trip to tour the rural areas outside Bilbao that we haven't yet seen, but I will keep Mikel's information for our trip here next year. Yes, we will return again, can't get enough of this culture!
Posted by
1588 posts
The Basque region is on the list for 2023. Thanks for Mikel’s contact info. I’ve bookmarked your post.
Posted by
Australia
93 posts
Thanks, we are staying in Getaria next May, so I will look out for the May Flower
Posted by
Bilbao
744 posts
Thanks so much, Kim. It´s easy to be a guide when you do it for kind persons like you, that show so much interest in our culture, landscapes, traditions, food...and that love good wine so much!! An honor and a pleasure, and certainly looking forward to meeting you again, even if just for a glass of red Tempranillo Rioja wine.
Posted by
point pleasant beach, nj, usa
646 posts
We will be in Bilbao next week. We have two excursions booked with Mikel. Can’t wait!
Posted by
OP
40 posts
Camille
Have a wonderful time and give Mikel our best. Hope Getaria and the May Flower restaurant are on your tour.
We had an amzing guide in Zaragoza too. Spent 2 weeks in Spain w/stops in Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Montblanc, Zaragoza, Logorno, Bilbao (Basque area), Laguardia and flew out of Madrid. All on our own w/guides in cities where we stopped. Small towns the best
Any other help I can give you just email
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7159 posts
Sounds like you had a nice trip and are already ready to visit another part of Spain.
Posted by
point pleasant beach, nj, usa
646 posts
We are now enjoying our time in the beautiful city of Bilbao. Our first night was spent with Mikel on his Pinxtos Tour. It was amazing! Mikel is so knowledgeable and fun. He showed us his favorite bars for pinxtos and drinks. We had such a good time!
Tomorrow we will go on an all day excursion with Mikel. I can’t wait to see what he has planned for us
Posted by
point pleasant beach, nj, usa
646 posts
We had a wonderful time with Mikel on our full day tour out of Bilbao. Mikel did not disappoint. He took our suggestions on what we wanted to see and met our expectations. The best was our stop in Hondarabbia! Mikel found us a restaurant that was totally local. The food and wine were terrific. We fell in love with Basque Country and that was in part due to Mikel’s knowledge and love for anything Basque.
If you’re in Bilbao, make sure to use Mikel as your guide. It was like being with an old friend!