Tour guide in Bilbao Mirelur O.

Welcome to my profile and thank you very much for your curiosity!!! Now that you got this far, I hope you give me the chance to introduce myself and tell you why I could be your tour guide!! I’m from Bermeo, a town on the Basque coast with a lot of history and identity. Despite being very attached to my roots and my family, I always felt like traveling and uncovering the mystery of what was out there. So, I left at the age of 17 and spent almost two decades discovering the world. During my time away from home I studied several careers, worked in many sectors, lived a thousand experiences, met wonderful people and cultures, and traveled 5 continents. It took me a while to come back, but when I reconnected with my roots, I realized it was time to stay. That’s how I started to enjoy my family, my land, and my traditions from the peace of knowing that there is a wonderful world out there to visit, but there is nothing like home. Curiously enough, my name means land in Basque, our mother tongue. It is marvelous when traveling brings us to that point where we return home with the desire to embrace the anodyne, with a new perspective on the ordinary, and with a grateful heart for all the love that surrounds us, family, friends, community... I feel that traveling is therapeutic if done consciously. That’s why I decided to make my vocation a profession. I love witnessing those extraordinary moments that traveling always brings. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed sharing, teaching, caring, and making others smile. I did my first tours in Madrid 14 years ago and since then it has become my favorite hobby, something I did as a complement to other jobs until I decided to bet on my happiness and dedicate myself fully to what I love to do. Today I feel happy and grateful to be a tour guide in my own home. So, I soon started designing my tours, in an era where all the information is literally in the palm of our hand, with the idea of connecting with travelers, making them feel welcome, and accompanying them to experience a Basque Country they would not otherwise know. But my commitment also must be based on sustainable tourism that respects our land, its inhabitants, and its essence. That’s why I try to work with smaller groups of conscious visitors who wish to immerse themselves in the local identity without ignoring it or invading it. Our tourism quota has gone from almost non-existent to massive in just a decade, letting an ancient culture that has been so well preserved by our ancestors slowly disappear in a homogeneous world of technology and multinationals. That’s why I work hand in hand with artisans, producers, and services that respect our rural and cultural conservation criteria. An old Basque saying goes: Because we were we are, and because we are we will be. All in all, what I want is to provide quality tours, based on interaction, care, details, and well-being, beyond fulfilling itineraries and providing information. My special ingredient is just loving what I do, it gives me a permanent smile and the energy to give my best in each tour. Ultimately, it’s all about creating an experience in which you feel comfortable, cared for, and appreciated, so you can dive in with confidence. Because the best way to enjoy a new place is with a local who makes you feel at home, let me know who you are and what you want, and let’s make it happen!