Where are the Ancient Skies? It is becoming increasingly difficult to admire a beautiful starry sky in Europe with our urbanized flood-lit streets. It can be very cold at night, Where are the Ancient Skies? It is becoming increasingly difficult to admire a beautiful starry sky in Europe with our urbanized flood-lit streets. It can be very cold at night, not to mention the clouds, which more often than not have the bad taste to spoil the party. To really discover the stars and marvel at the cosmos, there is nothing like staying in a sunny warm country, at altitude, far from the city. You will be accompanied by an expert who introduces you to astronomy and its wonders. This is the rationale for a new concept, astro travel: with your feet on the ground you explore thousands more glittering stars. Tenerife, at 2,100 m altitude, a special island in the Atlantic Ocean enjoys one of the best skies in the world. During the day you explore extraordinary landscapes and enjoy the splendid hiking. At night, you submerse yourself in the mysteries of the universe.
Destinations:
Price:
From CHF 1,800.–
Length of holiday:
8 days (7 nights)
Departure dates:
Small group
17-24 May 2025
17-24 May 2025
Tempted to go ?
Features of the holiday
| Destination: | Canary Islands, Spain |
| Season: | Summer |
| Responsible travel: | Environment, Environmentally-friendly transportation, Local food, Micro-economy, Sensitization |
| Travel type: | Active holidays |
| Traveller type: | Couple, Family, More mature, Small group, Solo, Student |
| Activities: | Astronomy, Observation, Tasting, Tour, Trekking, Wine tasting |
| Accommodation: | Hotel |
| Natural environment: | Forest, Geology, Mountain, Volcano |
| Culture: | Agriculture, Viticulture |
| Climate: | Oceanic, Temperate |
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Itinerary of the holiday
- Day 1 to Day 4 : Fly from Geneva to Tenerife. The volcano caldeira. Introductory course in astronomy in the morning. The topics are: the apparent motion of the sky, the solar system, the life of the stars. The afternoon is free for spectacular caldeira excursions. In the evening, we all go to the volcanic caldeira for an evening of astronomy. Using a laser, the constellations, the distance of stars, blue or red stars. Constellations and Greek mythology, the zodiac, the sky change with the change of latitude, the North Star. Then with a telescope, the planet Jupiter, the Moon and stellar nurseries. Double stars of different colours, young and old stars, star clusters. Nebulae and supernovas residues.
- Day 5 to Day 8 : In the morning, introductory course in astronomy. The topics are: galaxies and cosmology, the calendar and its origins. During the day hiking in the pine forest. Relax at the spa. Visit the typical Spanish village of Vilaflor. At night, our galaxy, the Milky Way and its satellites, the Andromeda galaxy, the distant galaxies.
Map
Length of the holiday |
8 days (7 nights) |
Departure dates |
Small group |
Price |
CHF 1,800.– per person (base of 12 persons) Single room supplement: CHF 282.– |
Included with the holiday
- transfer to the hotel
- 7 nights in 4-star hotel, half board: brunch in the morning and the evening meal
- bilingual (French/English) guide astronomer
- activities related to astronomy
- guided tours
- local transfers
Not included with the holiday
- return flights
- travel insurance
- drinks
- care and spa treatments
- tips
- personal expenses
- Covid19 tests if necessary
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- The Teide volcano
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- The Parador hotel in the Teide caldeira
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- Open star cluster NGC 3603 in the constellation of the Carina, about 20,000 light-years from the sun, in our galaxy the Milky Way
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- A solar eruption
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- Pine forest in the mist of the Teide volcano
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- A walk in the natural park of the Teide volcano
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- The hotel in Vilaflor
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- M74 (aka NGC 628) as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope: a blazing spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces, about 32 millions light-years from us [Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. Acknowledgement: R. Chandar (University of Toledo) and J. Miller (University of Michigan)]
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- View from the hotel in Vilaflor
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Our customers enjoyed their travel
All our wishes fulfilled
The trip fulfilled all our wishes. We were very well accommodated, the nature was a real discovery, the sky was very favorable and Antoine was perfect in his various roles of guide, animator and tightrope walker of the stars.
The pace was leisurely although we undertook many diverse activities. In addition, the group quickly found a good balance, all were charming, considerate, humorous and respectful of each other’s priorities.
A big thank you for the perfect organization of this trip. Even the administrative constraints proved to be rather light in these times of Covid.
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