Hello, how are you?

I was born and raised in the Basque Country. This land is not something I discovered—it is something I belong to and live everyday.

My name is Mikel Pikabea. Like this place, my name carries history, language and continuity. I grew up with these landscapes, these seasons, and a way of understanding food, work and time shaped by proximity and restraint. Over the years, I have built lasting relationships with the people who truly define this land: farmers, fishermen, winemakers, artisans and cooks who work quietly, with integrity and pride.

My background is eclectic: trained as an electronic engineer, studied philosophy, and a certified Tai Chi and Chikung instructor for over 25 years. Equally formative was growing up deeply connected to land and sea, learning firsthand from my grandparents and my parents about farming, fishing, seasonal harvests, and traditional Basque cuisine. Those early experiences shaped my approach as a guide, storyteller, and educator, and fueled lifelong interests in folklore, anthropology, transpersonal growth, and natural living.

Beyond guiding and teaching Taichi and Chikung, I enjoy cultivating gardens, foraging mushrooms, and exploring my musical curiosity in my home studio.

Pick a B comes directly from my name—Pikabea—but its meaning goes further. It is a conscious choice.
To pick a B is to choose Basque, boutique, and deliberately bold experiences. It reflects a way of working that is bespoke by nature, focused on what is best, not on what is most visible.

The name reflects how I work. I don’t curate spectacles; I open doors. To places that many are unaware of because they are not advertised. To tables where food is shared rather than displayed. To landscapes best understood slowly and in silence.

I work privately and personally, designing each journey with care and intention. I choose to work with travelers who value discretion, cultural depth and genuine connection—those who understand that real luxury is found in access, trust and time.

Nothing you will experience is staged. Everything is rooted in proximity, seasonality and human relationships built over years.

True luxury is not what you are shown, but what you are allowed to enter.

— Mikel Pikabea
Founder & Guide, Pick a B