Earlier on this forum John posed a question about ghost tours in Toledo and it got me thinking about how much fun that might be for me and my 11-yr-old, We will spend the night in Toledo and would love an after dark tour. I found three tour companies who provide tours after dark, but unfortunately they are all in Spanish. The RS guidebook provides only one private guide recommendation: Juan Jose Espadas. I am waiting for his response.
Please pass along your recommendations. I'm hoping to deal directly with the guide, as I have inquiries out to several middle-man tour companies (VisiToledo, ToursbyLocals, and WithLocals).
Thanks so much,
Marti
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
104 posts
Persistence and patience has finally paid off! I found a private guide who has offered a tour including access to exclusive underground spaces accessible only to those that have the key. The suggested itinerary includes legends and stories about love, hate, ghosts and magic, visiting some underground spaces. Sounds right up my alley and my 11-yr-old will love it.
I found the guide at a tourist information website. This site has pages and pages of credentialed guides, the languages they speak, their email, and phone number. Here is the link:
http://www.turismocastillalamancha.es/oficinas-turismo-red-infotur/
Posted by
4 posts
I enjoyed an excellent tour two weeks ago with JuanJo!! He is very knowledgeable and fun to tour with! Keep at it, he will respond!
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
104 posts
I had to work hard for a very long time to find just the right tour in Toledo for myself and my 11-year-old godson. I knew that the kid wouldn't enjoy a "canned" tour. And I was really hoping for a night time tour - something with a little bit of mystery. The problem was that ALL the night time group tours in Toledo were conducted in Spanish! So I went on a hunt to find someone who could take the two of us on a tour of Toledo after dark - in English. I
I am so happy I found Cristina Ferrara's business card on the official tourist information page: turismocastillalamancha.es/guias-turisticos-oficiales/ (look for the English flag to translate the page) The tourist board offers listings of all the credentialed tour guides. Unfortunately, many of the guides live in Madrid and commute to Toledo to conduct tours. That wasn't going to work for me. I wanted a guide who lived in Toledo and I am so happy I found Cristina. She responded promptly to all my email correspondence and Whatsapp texts and we agreed on the price and length of the tour. We met in the main square at sunset and explored the quiet streets of Toledo after all the day-trippers returned to Madrid. What a magical exploration of Toledo! Cristina is extremely knowledgeable and her tour was chock-full of fascinating information for adults and children alike. She easily was able to tailor the content to my 11-year-old's interests, based on his questions and responses. This was my first-ever private guide experience. It was a bit of a splurge for my budget-minded travel style, but oh, so worth it!
I highly recommend contacting Cristina to arrange a tour of Toledo. In fact, I have already recommended Cristina to a couple from Iceland whom I met in Madrid. I also left her contact information with the reception desk in my Madrid hotel. Highly recommended!