The Best Stargazing Spots in the Canary Islands

When I turned my head back on a dark night in the Canary Islands, I was really small, but then in the most wonderful way. Stars were not only sprinkled in the sky, but they were crowded with them.

The milky way was a river of light across the horizon and constellations that I normally had trouble seeing back at home were now glimmering in the sky like long time friends.

No wonder, the Canary Islands are frequently referred to as one of the biggest natural observatories in the world.

It reminded me of how convenience on earth matters just as much as wonder in the sky, the way smooth start to trip, like booking**** airport parking Luton, makes the journey feel effortless before you even arrive at a destination this magical.

The Reasons Why Canaries are a Stargazer Paradise

The geographical position of the islands, off the coast of Western Africa, in addition to high mountain ranges, dry air, and stringent light pollution regulations makes the conditions almost ideal to practice astronomy.

UNESCO has gone to the extent of making sections of Tenerife and La Palma starlight reserves. This means that, in case you enjoy the night sky, this is the place to go out and to be put in place by the universe.

But what and where should you go? Having followed stars around these islands, I have compiled my favorite stargazing places that will make you feel that you were standing on the edge of infinity.

National Park Teide, Tenerife

Picture yourself on the sides of a volcano where the ground you are standing on is still influenced by fire and the stars above you are cold and shining.

The highest mountain in Spain, Mount Teide, is not a daytime phenomenon. Teide National Park has become one of the easiest places to observe the night sky on the planet.

I once joined a guided night tour here and the astronomer pointed at Saturn with a telescope. Its rings, so small, and yet so clear, took my breath like a child.

It is memorable to lie down on a volcanic rock and allow the sky to swallow you up without equipment.

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La Palma, Roque de los Muchachos

And this may be the holy grail of stargazers. One of the most important observatories in the world is located in Roque de los Muchachos, 2,396 meters above sea level. It is like getting into another world, when driving through pine woods and above the clouds.

I was at the top, in time to see the twilight fade. The sky turned to velvet, and all at once more stars than I had ever seen in my life twinkled to life.

Looking up here you see why scientists like to use this location to study the universe, it is nearly too clear, too large, too perfect.

Summit of Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is more famous as a beach destination but its rough interior is full of stargazer treasures. Park at Pico de las Nieves or Cruz de Tejeda and you will have broad skies and lots less people.

I was sitting, one cold night, in a blanket leaning against a stone wall and watching the shooting stars, like brush strokes, waving across the sky.

Dark Horizons in Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is flat and desert-like, and it provides a different form of stargazing. This is because its horizons are wide, making the sky seem endless, like an ocean.

The surroundings of the Cofete Beach or the Corralejo Dunes are particularly dark and ideal to just lie down on the beach and get overwhelmed by the stars.

Stargazing in the Canary Islands Tips

Take a jacket. It is cold even in the mountains at night even in the summer.

Shun the full moon. The darkest skies will be when there is a new moon or a crescent phase.

Take an example of a guided tour. Stories and telescopes that the local astronomers can add to the sky make it even richer.

Stay late. Sometimes the skies will clear up after midnight because the winds will calm down and the humidity will decrease.