Observatory Tour and Stargazing on Teide
About this experience
One evening, three things you cannot get at sea level: a working solar observatory from the inside, a sunset watched from above the cloud layer, and the night sky through long-range telescopes. All of it above two thousand metres, inside Teide National Park.
What you do on this tour
We start at the Izaña observatory. This is a working research site where scientists study the Sun, not a museum built for visitors. An English-speaking guide takes you round the domes and explains how a solar telescope differs from a night telescope, and why this particular ridge was chosen for the work.
After the visit we stay up on the mountain for sunset. At this altitude the clouds usually sit below you, so the sun drops behind their surface rather than behind the ocean horizon.
Once it is dark we move to the observing site, the car park next to the base station of the Teide cable car. Professional long-range telescopes are set up there, and a Starlight guide walks you through planets, galaxies and star clusters, explaining each object as you look at it.
On a full-moon night the picture changes. The moon brightens the sky, but through the telescope you see its craters and mountain ranges close up. Teide ranks among the three best places in the world for observing the sky, largely because the air above the island is unusually stable and the clouds stay beneath you.
Who this is for (and who it is not)
It suits people who want more than a photo from a viewpoint and who like having someone explain what they are actually looking at. It works well with teenagers too.
There are firm restrictions, though. Children under 8 cannot take part in this tour. It is also not recommended for anyone in poor health, for example with anaemia, heart conditions or breathing difficulties, or for people with reduced mobility, because the programme involves walking on paths and stairs.
Practical information
Hotel pickup runs between 14:30 and 16:30, depending on where you are staying. We provide transport from hotels in Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas, Los Cristianos, La Caleta, Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago, and from Puerto de la Cruz in the north. We do not cover El Médano or Golf del Sur; from there you make your own way to a meeting point in Los Cristianos or Costa Adeje.
Write your hotel name in the order notes and we will email you the exact time and meeting point. Bring an ID card or passport to confirm your booking. A picnic option with snacks and drinks can be added. Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before the start with a 100% refund.
Dress warmer than the beach suggests. After dark at this altitude the temperature can fall below zero.
How the tour goes
Hotel pickup
We set off in the afternoon, between 14:30 and 16:30, depending on where your hotel is.
Izaña Observatory
A visit to a working solar observatory with an English-speaking guide who explains how the telescopes here work.
Sunset above the clouds
We stay up on the mountain until dusk. At this altitude the clouds lie below you.
Drive to the cable car
The stargazing takes place in the car park next to the lower station of the Teide cable car.
The night sky through telescopes
A Starlight guide shows you planets, galaxies and star clusters through professional long-range telescopes.
Return to your hotel
After the observation you travel back to your hotel in the same vehicle.
What's included
- transport from hotels in Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas, Los Cristianos, La Caleta, Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago, and from Puerto de la Cruz
- an evening guided visit to the Izaña solar observatory
- watching the sunset above the clouds
- stargazing with a Starlight guide through professional long-range telescopes
Pick-up
We pick up from hotels in Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas, Los Cristianos, La Caleta, Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago, and in Puerto de la Cruz. Pickup is between 14:30 and 16:30 depending on the hotel. From El Médano and Golf del Sur you make your own way to a meeting point in Los Cristianos or Costa Adeje.
Good to know
- the tour is led by an English-speaking guide
- children under 8 cannot take part in this tour
- hotel pickup is between 14:30 and 16:30, depending on the location
- transport does not cover El Médano or Golf del Sur, from there you need to get to Los Cristianos or Costa Adeje
- the trip is not recommended for people with anaemia, heart conditions, breathing problems or limited mobility, because it involves paths and stairs
- the stargazing takes place in the car park next to the lower cable car station
- you can add a picnic option with snacks and drinks
- free cancellation up to 72 hours before the start, 100% refund
- What to bring: warm clothes, the temperature can drop below zero after dark, a hat and closed shoes, ID card or passport to confirm your booking, something to eat and drink if you are not buying the picnic option, a torch or a phone with a night mode
FAQ
This tour is open to people aged 8 and over. Younger children will not be admitted, because the programme includes a visit to a working observatory and late, chilly stargazing. The guide's talk is also aimed at older participants.
The visit to the Izaña observatory is led by an English-speaking guide, and the night-time stargazing by a Starlight guide. If you do not feel confident in English, write to us before booking and we will advise whether this tour will be easy for you to follow.
From the south of the island, meaning Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos, and from Puerto de la Cruz in the north. We do not cover El Médano or Golf del Sur. From those areas you need to get to the meeting point in Los Cristianos or Costa Adeje on your own.
More warmly than the weather on the coast suggests. The stargazing takes place at over two thousand metres, where the temperature can drop below zero after dark. Bring a hat, a jacket, something with long sleeves and closed shoes, even if it was warm during the day.
No, but you can add a picnic option with snacks and drinks. If you do not take it, bring something to eat and drink with you. The trip starts in the afternoon and ends at night, so you spend several hours away from shops and restaurants.
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