Richard Alfredo Aguilar moved from Paraguay to Ibiza with his family hoping to build a better future, but his new life on the island took an unexpected professional turn.

A photographer by profession, Aguilar found work as a gardener at an exclusive Ibiza property. Ten months later, his job has placed him in an extraordinary environment where international celebrities, including Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio, spend time during the summer.

His story has now attracted attention in Paraguay after he spoke about his experiences to NPY, describing what it is like to work in a private setting frequented by some of Hollywood's biggest names.

From Paraguay to a New Life in Ibiza

Aguilar left Paraguay with his family in search of better opportunities and a fresh start in Spain.

Although photography was his profession, finding work in his original field was not how his Ibiza story unfolded.

Instead, he took a position in gardening at an exclusive property on the island.

What initially represented a significant change in his professional life eventually gave him access to a world very different from the one he had known in Paraguay.

The property attracts several high-profile international visitors during the summer, meaning Aguilar's daily working environment can include some of the world's most recognisable actors.

Ten Months Working at an Exclusive Property

Aguilar has now worked at the property for around ten months.

His responsibilities are centred on maintaining the gardens, meaning much of his time is spent outdoors and away from the activities of the guests staying at the estate.

Despite that separation, the unusual circumstances of the property have resulted in occasional encounters with famous visitors.

Among those he has seen are Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Aguilar explained to NPY that many celebrities visit the property during the summer, although different guests have different expectations regarding privacy and contact with staff.

Meeting Tobey Maguire

One of the most memorable encounters came when Aguilar crossed paths with Tobey Maguire.

The actor, best known internationally for playing Peter Parker in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, was spending time at the property while Aguilar and his colleagues were working in the gardens.

According to Aguilar, Maguire and others were playing poker and drinking coffee while the workers continued with their tasks.

The encounter eventually led to Aguilar having a photograph taken with the actor and receiving an autograph.

For the Paraguayan photographer-turned-gardener, the moment was particularly meaningful because Maguire had been a familiar face from films he had watched long before arriving in Ibiza.

A Photo With "Peter Parker" Goes Viral

Aguilar later shared the photograph with Maguire on Facebook.

He accompanied the image with a playful reference to the character that made the American actor famous, joking about being a gardener in Spain while receiving "private lessons" from a master of climbing walls.

The post subsequently attracted significant attention online.

The photograph became a personal snapshot of an unexpected chapter in Aguilar's life: leaving Paraguay, changing professions and eventually finding himself standing next to one of Hollywood's best-known actors while working in an Ibiza garden.

The Experience With Leonardo DiCaprio Was Very Different

Aguilar also spoke about encountering Leonardo DiCaprio at the property.

In contrast to his experience with Maguire, staff were reportedly given much stricter instructions concerning the actor's privacy.

According to Aguilar's account, workers were told that they could greet DiCaprio but should not go beyond that.

The restrictions included photography, with staff not permitted to take pictures with him.

Aguilar explained that the rules surrounding DiCaprio's image were considerably stricter than those associated with some of the other celebrities visiting the property.

Working Beside Famous People

Despite the unusual circumstances, Aguilar describes the celebrities he encounters as relatively normal in their interactions with workers.

He told NPY that the people he sees walk across the grass, say hello and speak to staff before returning to their own activities.

That sense of everyday normality appears to be one of the most striking aspects of his experience.

For someone accustomed to seeing these actors through films and international media, encountering them simply as people moving around a garden creates a completely different perspective.

Ibiza's Private Celebrity World

The story offers a glimpse into one of the less visible sides of Ibiza's summer tourism economy.

The island attracts large numbers of international celebrities during the warmer months, many of whom choose private villas and exclusive estates rather than more public accommodation.

These properties allow visitors to enjoy Ibiza's landscape while maintaining a high degree of privacy.

For the workers who maintain them, however, the presence of international celebrities can become part of an otherwise ordinary working day.

Aguilar's experience is an unusual example of what that hidden side of Ibiza can look like.

From Photography to Gardening

The change in Aguilar's career is one of the most unexpected parts of the story.

Photography remains his professional background, yet his current work is in gardening.

Rather than viewing that as a setback, he has spoken positively about his new life and the opportunities it has provided.

The job has given him stability in Ibiza while also placing him in surroundings he could never have anticipated when he first left Paraguay.

His story illustrates how migration and starting again in another country can sometimes produce completely unexpected career paths.

A Chance Encounter Becomes a Lasting Memory

The photograph with Maguire is particularly meaningful because it captures the unusual circumstances of Aguilar's new life.

The image was not created at a film premiere or celebrity event.

It was taken in the garden of a private Ibiza property while Aguilar was doing his job.

That detail is what made the story resonate with people who saw the photograph online.

A man who travelled to Spain to start again unexpectedly found himself standing beside an actor he had known for years through cinema.

The Reality Behind Celebrity Privacy

Aguilar's experience also illustrates the strict privacy protocols that can surround celebrities staying on Ibiza.

High-profile visitors often travel with security teams and rely on private accommodation specifically to avoid unwanted attention.

Workers at those properties may therefore be required to follow clear rules regarding photographs, personal interaction and confidentiality.

The difference between Aguilar's encounters with Maguire and DiCaprio demonstrates that those boundaries can vary from one guest to another.

While Maguire reportedly allowed a photograph and autograph, Aguilar says the rules around DiCaprio were much stricter.

Ibiza as a Meeting Place for International Stars

Ibiza has long been a magnet for actors, musicians, footballers and other international public figures.

Its combination of luxury properties, private beaches, yachts, restaurants and established nightlife makes it an attractive summer destination for people seeking both entertainment and discretion.

Celebrity sightings are therefore not unusual on the island, particularly during the height of the summer season.

What makes Aguilar's story different is that his encounters took place as part of his everyday working life rather than while attending the same events as the celebrities.

A Personal Success Story

For Aguilar, the most important part of the story is arguably not the celebrity encounters themselves.

Leaving Paraguay with his family and starting again in Spain represented a major personal decision.

Finding employment in an entirely different profession required adapting to a new reality.

After ten months working at the Ibiza property, that decision has resulted in a life that is very different from what he originally imagined.

The encounters with internationally famous actors are unusual highlights, but they are ultimately part of a broader story about rebuilding a life in a new country.

The Photographer Who Found a Different Career

Aguilar's background in photography makes his encounter with Maguire particularly fitting.

He left behind his original profession when he moved to Ibiza, only to end up with an unexpected photograph that became one of the most memorable records of his new life.

His social media post turned a private meeting into a widely shared story and gave people in Paraguay a glimpse into his experience on the island.

The photograph also became a symbol of the unexpected opportunities that can emerge after starting over somewhere completely new.

A Glimpse Behind the Gates of Ibiza's Luxury Estates

Most visitors only see the public side of Ibiza's tourism industry.

Aguilar's account offers a rare glimpse behind the gates of the private properties where some of the world's most famous visitors stay.

For the people working there, maintaining gardens and other facilities remains an everyday job.

But the surroundings can be extraordinary.

A normal working morning can involve tending lawns while internationally recognised actors sit nearby playing poker or having coffee.

Respecting Privacy Remains Central

Aguilar's story also underlines the importance of respecting the privacy of people staying at private properties.

Despite the excitement of meeting famous actors, employees are expected to follow the property's rules.

The restrictions surrounding DiCaprio are a clear example of this.

Aguilar's account suggests that the relationship between staff and celebrity guests is generally polite and professional, but boundaries remain essential.

That privacy is part of the reason high-profile visitors continue to choose Ibiza's private estates.

The Human Side of Ibiza's Celebrity Stories

Celebrity stories about Ibiza often focus on luxury, yachts, parties and dramatic photographs.

Aguilar's experience tells a different kind of story.

It is about a Paraguayan father starting again in another country and finding work in an unexpected profession.

It is about famous actors appearing, from his perspective, as ordinary people walking through a garden.

And it is about a single photograph with Tobey Maguire becoming an unexpected online success.

That human perspective makes the story particularly memorable.

A New Life With an Unlikely View

When Aguilar left Paraguay, he was looking for a better future for his family.

There was no obvious reason to expect that his new life would involve working around Hollywood stars.

Yet that is precisely what happened.

A photographer became a gardener, a private estate became his workplace and an ordinary day at work resulted in encounters with Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The circumstances may be unusual, but the underlying story is familiar: moving somewhere new can mean leaving behind one identity and discovering another.

Ibiza's Unexpected Celebrity Connections

Aguilar's experience is another reminder that Ibiza's celebrity culture extends far beyond nightclubs and public events.

Behind the island's famous restaurants, beaches and villas is a large workforce providing the services that make those experiences possible.

For some workers, that can mean maintaining the gardens of a luxury estate.

For Aguilar, it has also meant occasionally finding himself face-to-face with actors whose names are known around the world.

From Starting Over to an Unforgettable Encounter

Richard Alfredo Aguilar came to Spain from Paraguay with his family hoping to begin again.

He arrived as a photographer but eventually found work as a gardener at an exclusive Ibiza property.

Ten months later, his workplace has brought him into contact with Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio, although under very different circumstances.

His photograph with Maguire went viral after he shared it online, while his account of the strict privacy rules surrounding DiCaprio offers a glimpse into the protected world of celebrity visitors to Ibiza.

For Aguilar, however, the story begins and ends with something much more personal than Hollywood.

It is the story of starting again, adapting to a new life and discovering that sometimes the most unexpected chapters can grow from the simplest of jobs.