“How lucky we were that Victor was our art tour guide for a wonderful art exhibit about female deities from various ancient cultures: Sekhmet, Isis, Circe,Hecate… Lilith.
Victor knew so much of the colorful beliefs and symbolism of goddesses that it seemed as if he must have been giving this in-depth tour for years and not just the brief period in which this temporary exhibit was up. And maybe my prejudices about men are coming through, but I was especially impressed with Victor’s clear admiration of the artistic and historical belief implications of these fascinating deities without a hint of misogyny. Victor is the real deal.”

“6/5 stars! This is by far one of the BEST tours I have ever been on. Víctor clearly knows what he is talking about…and then some! He bleeds passion and energy with each step of the tour! His English is amazing and you can tell he gives tours because he is drawn to the history of Sevilla and he wants to share that journey through time with you. His love for detail, perfectly inserted jokes, great timing and overall knowledge make this a MUST DO event in Sevilla!!”

“Our Alhambra tour with Victor was a crowning experience of our three-week visit to Spain. He wears his knowledge lightly, but it was clear from the start that we were in the hands of an expert. From a lively discussion of the importance of water, both actually and symbolically, to the culture of Al Andalus, to inviting us to share in the step-by-step process of being a foreign ambassador conducted into the presence of the ruler, we found ourselves drawn into a deep encounter with the distant past. A tour with Victor is far from the canned narrative provided by your average guide. We were a diverse group – trained in religious studies, literature, art history and European history – each with our own interests and questions. Victor exceeded the expectations of all in ways that permitted us to learn not just from him, but from each other as well. We spent most of a day with him and would probably have gone into the night had his and our schedules permitted. Highly, highly recommended.”

“I have never seen the value of traveling to other places simply to see oft-photographed places and things. I am more intrigued by the interplay of history and culture, and trying to discern patterns in past: present: future. So I like to travel so as to experience new places, which allows me to experience myself in new ways.
Traveling with Victor suits me perfectly. We walk, we dialogue and Victor brings an encyclopedic depth of knowledge of people, culture and history, as he teases apart history from myth from legend. Victor makes the material understandable and brings the past to life. While not seeking grand narratives, he can draw connections to past events and places, which helps to illuminate the present.
And while this might sound obscure and stuffy, Victor’s wit and sense of connectedness, keeps co-travelers engaged.
Would that I could travel with this man annually, I certainly would and consider it an honor.”

“Victor guided my daughter and me through Seville. When you think ‘guide’ you may think monuments, markets, beautiful views, but his tours also include the gift of a running context as we went along, and ‘context’ is all in Andalucia. Victor has an encyclopedic knowledge of Spanish history in a region with eons of complexity. He is also widely read in world as well as national literature. Anecdotes – some personal, many not–enriched his commentary and lighten the treks from place to place. Victor moves from the general to the particular and back again with ease and effectiveness, especially with architecture. The architecture of Seville demands that expertise. He quickly intuits his client’s interests and enthusiasms and accommodates. When Victor discovers particular depths of interests, he will offer to change the itinerary in imaginative ways. His tours are far from rote and routine, but rather a multifaceted introduction to Andalusian culture in general and Seville in particular. When I go back to Seville, which I surely will because of Victor’s marvelous introduction, he will be the first person I call to make that visit as memorable as the first.”

“I can’t think of a better guide to Andalucia than Victor Vasquez. He was able to debunk myths about the Reconquista and go beyond pat descriptions of Spanish cultural and historical dynamics to help me and my family gain a richer understanding of this extraordinary region. His tours are very well researched, and while it is clear that he is up-to-date on Spanish and Anglo-American scholarship on the medieval period, he is not at all pedantic. Victor is a guide, not a lecturer, someone who is sensitive to the needs and interests of the people he accompanies. He’s also a pleasure to spend time with. As an art historian, I frequently teach at historical sites and in art museums and am familiar with the quality of tours led by guides hired day-of, onsite, and those of large professional outfits like Context Travel. Victor is the best guide I’ve ever encountered. My only regret about our wonderful trip to Andalucia is that we did not engage him for our entire itinerary.”

“My tour with Victor Vazquez remains memorable in so many ways, not just the special sites that he chose to highlight but how he wove myth, legend and cultural relevance into all that he shared.
He is an engaging, lively tour guide who invited us to go so much more deeply into what we experience than being informed, by rote, of dry facts and dates as other guides too often provide. Victor is truly wonderful and provides a deeply enriching tour experience; I look forward to my next journey with him.”