Away from the neon glare of the southern coastal resorts, the moonscape interior of this holiday island provides a great base for studying the heavens at any time of the year. Shortly after sunset the sky over Teide National Park dims to a jet black and the first freckles of stellar bodies make their appearance. Within the hour, the entire overhead glimmers and sparkles like an overdressed Christmas tree. The Great Bear, Plough, Mars and Neptune are a few of the highlights easily definable with the naked eye.
The Tenerife Tourist Corporation, in association with Teide Astro Volcanes y Estrellas, organise stargazing excursions in the Park and visits to the nearby Teide Observatory.
If you want to stay overnight in the park, there’s only one option, the Parador de Cañadas del Teide. Fortunately it’s a good option. This state-owned hotel occupies prime position at the foot of Mount Teide, which with a peak reaching 3, 718 metres is the world’s third largest volcano (though a mere molehill compared to the 27-kilometre high Mount Olympus volcano on Mars – roughly occupying a space equal to the size of France!) Ask at reception and the staff will obligingly wheel a heavy duty telescope out into the open. On Friday nights, a guided tour of the stars is available free to hotel residents.
Closer to the shores, guests at one of the island’s top hotels, the Bahia del Duque, can use the in-house observatory to gaze deep into the serenity of the night, escaping more than a million miles (literally) from the buzz of busy neighbour, Playa de las Americas.
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