Get to know Ana Maria Soler Machirant

As part of our series of short interviews with leading tour guides

My Website

ana.soler.machirant@gmail.com

+34 658881325

Languages I guide in

Spanish, English

Country and Cities I guide in

Spain: Comunidad Valencia (mostly in Valencia)

My Services

Group guided tours, Itinerary planning, Private guide

Why did you become a tour guide?

It is a way of bringing the place closer to visitors. When I have traveled I have really liked the work that the guides have done, so I wanted to do the same.

What do you like the most about being a tour guide?

You meet people from different places and learn from them. There is feedback.

What is the hardest part about being a tour guide?

The voice is often damaged. Although that’s why we use a microphone.

Pick a city you love, and name your top five things tourists must do in the city

I choose Valencia

Go to the Albufera, a few kilometers away. It offers one of the best sunsets in the area. You can also go up by boat or walk along its paths.
Take a walk through the park of the old bed of the Turia river. It is the longest urban park in all of Spain.
Enjoy its gastronomy: eat an authentic Valencian paella or try horchata, among others.
Enjoy the city by bike. The city is ideal to go in it.
Admire the great diversity of historical and cultural heritage that we have: maritime neighborhood, historical center, City of Arts and Sciences, etc
It is a city for all tastes.

In that city, name one dish they must taste and in which restaurant?:

Paella in El Palmar, a district of Valencia, located in Albufera.

What do you take with you on every tour?

To see people happy, feedback and the satisfaction of bringing the city closer to tourists, including the city’s own inhabitants.

Why should tourists join a guided tour or hire a private tour guide?

It is a way to know the city through local people and discover many stories and curiosities that do not appear in books.

Could you tell me an interesting or funny story that happen to you with tourists?

I was doing the guided tour of Mysterious Valencia when suddenly, crossing the street, we saw a black platform, as big as some kind of giant doll… And the truth is that it was a mystery because we didn’t really know what it was and we tried to decipher it.
I finally realized that it was part of a montage for a shoot, specifically the series Citadel.
It was a funny and a curious situation.
In Valencia we have a lot of filming. That is why we also offer the Valencia de Cine (Valencia and cinema). Of course, we have included this series in our list.

Which destinations are still on your bucket list that you still haven’t traveled to?

Nueva Zelanda and Australia. I would like to travel there.

If you could recommend one place in the world everyone must see, what would it be?

All places have their charm, but recently I have been to Costa Rica and I fell in love with the country. It is nature in all its forms.

Anything else you wish to share with our travelers’ community?

I studied and I worked as a social educator.
I wanted to unite my two passions: social education and tourism, and promote inclusive tourism through the project: Volem Valencia.
All the guided tours are accessible to all people.
In addition, I intend through the visits to reflect on various situations.
So, for example, I offer sensory visits blindfolded and in this way, while getting to know the city with other senses, it is a way of reflecting on visual diversity.