If you’ve traveled to Seville with Spain Savvy, chances are you’ve met the wonderful Raquel Barea. She’s one of our top private guides in the city and we’ve had the privilege of working with her for quite some time now. She shows our clients around Seville, offering incredible insight and rich history on the area’s sights and neighborhoods. A private tour with Raquel is truly one of the best ways to get to know the city and appreciate local culture on a unique, intimate level.
We sat down with Raquel to learn a little more about her story and discover why she loves guiding in her hometown.
Where are you from originally? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Seville. Still living in Seville. Basically I’ve been living my whole life in this beautiful city, except for one year that I lived in London many years ago.
How long have you been a private guide?
I’ve been a local guide for over 10 years now.
How long have you been partnering with Spain Savvy?
Since 2019.
What inspired you to start working as a guide?
Personal circumstances changed, I had always been related to the tourism field and I had the license to be a guide. I am passionate about my city and being able to share it with others, its wonderful heritage, culture, and gastronomy. It’s quite fun.
Where do you guide? What are your areas of expertise?
Mostly in Seville, showing the main monuments and sights, but I also go away on day-trips with my clients to other areas within Andalusia.
What do you love about Seville and its history?
I find fascinating the blend of cultures throughout history, the variety of influences in architecture, our rich language, gastronomy, traditions.
How many languages do you speak?
I attended university for 4 years and got my degree in Tourism, which implied the languages I studied were English and German.
What do you think are some of the benefits of hiring a private tour guide vs. doing it on your own or going with a big group?
I definitely enjoy a city much more when I go on a guided tour. Exploring on your own can be fun sometimes but you miss a lot not going on a tour. I personally prefer private tours to group tours, we can both interact, ask questions, and be a lot more flexible.
What’s one of your favorite spots in Seville to show your clients?
The main highlights like The Alcazar, The Cathedral, Santa Cruz Quarter, Plaza de España. Seville is a very walkable city, the architecture is beautiful, and quite often we have very nice weather.
And just for fun, what’s your favorite tapa in Sevilla?
That is a hard question to answer. I like many different tapas, some of them I can mention could be traditional ones like Iberian ham, solomillo al whiskey, salmorejo, croquetas…
Headed to Seville, Spain? The best way to see the city is with a private tour guide. Learn more about one of our most trusted guides and find out how to book her.