Tenerife Travelogue

[Special K]

We’ve off on a family holiday to Tenerife and in general, I’d welcome any advice on undertaking some astronomy while in the locale.  Of course, I'll follow this thread up with the observing reports, but first I need a little help. 

I’ve decided to pack up the key essentials and put them in the hold which is quite frightening.  However, I think the Samsonite will do well and everything inside will be further protected.  Package will include:

SW ED80 inside the alum travel case it comes in.  This seems pretty robust and cushioned by layer of beach towels inside the luggage, I think it will be fine.  Inside, the contents will be filled with bubble wrap to avoid anything knocking around.  I wouldn’t do this with a newt but reckon a small refractor can take some vibration.  Eyepieces will go inside the case, and aside from the scope, the 31mm Nagler has the highest value.  It would be a shame not to take it on the trip, but I’ve got the expendable 28mm 2” which came with the kit.  Would you take the Nagler?!   Perhaps in the carry on.   Speaking of which, the SW Pro case is just a little longer than allowed carry on, but maybe I’ll speak with the airline.  It would be safest to carry it on and the weight is fine.

2” O-III filter is definitely going, plus a few other EP’s like the 17mm Hyperion and BSTs.  I’ve finally ordered an AZ4 with alum legs which should fit in the rest of the space of the suitcase.  Padded out, of course.  10x50’s should be coming as well........oh, and why not take the Interstellarum atlas too!

Questions are where to go, really, and how to do it!  Mt Teide seems an obvious choice for a session and wonder if anyone has experience bringing your own kit in a rental car.  We’re staying in  Los Cristianos so not too far to get up there I don’t think.  There’s an online booking system for the Park, and looking at this it seems totally booked out.  I’ll have to research more about how you get access before dark.  I’d rather do my own thing than a tour. 

We’ve got friends outside Adeje and plan to see them at their house on the final Sunday.  They are away before that, which is a shame as their backyard could be ideal if dark enough.  I’m assuming that Los Critianos is going to be like Vegas, but our hotel is right by the beach, so there might be some decent views from the balcony or down on the beach.  Tenerife has some LP laws so not sure if some of the lighting cuts down after a certain hour of night.

Any experience or suggestions on this very welcome! 

[laudropb]

Hi I will be interested to follow this post. Going to Tenerife in late January. Adeje.

I have been once before but that was 14 years ago. Stayed in Los Christianos. Had bins with me and did a bit of bird watching. The sky was pretty washed out with LP I'm afraid.Did go up Mnt Teide, but it was during the day. Hope all works out for you. I will follow your reports with interest.

[Martin Meredith]

This thread contains some useful info in case you haven't seen it.

Martin

[clarkpm4242]

I have observed from here on several occasions...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Santa+Cruz+de+Tenerife,+Spain/@28.2381018,-16.6971622,1049m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0xc41cceccc254171:0x43111473d277e52e!6m1!1e1

...warm clothes and wind break!

Also managed to take TMB 92SS APO etc. in hand luggage.  Heavy duty dismantled photo tripod and tablet mount in luggage.  Used taped on filled water bottles as counter-weights.

Good luck!!

Paul

P.S.  Don't think any booking is required for the Caldera...

[damnut]

Friend went on hol this was his write up :--- http://www.eastmidlandsstargazers.org.uk/topic/6159-bin-to-heaven-and-back/

This Parador has a 10" dob :-- http://www.paradores-spain.com/spain/pcanadasteide.html

Don't know if you will go here(la palma), but they rent scopes http://www.astrolapalma.com/

[belfieldi]

Hi Kevin,

No need to go to the top of Teide (no access by car anyway), but there are plenty of places to park up around the bottom of the cable car and observe from there.. You're about 2,500 metres up so are usually way above the clouds.

The views are unbelievable, but it's cold, so go prepared, can also be windy.

Have a great time.

Ian

[acey]

Never been to Tenerife but I've observed from a couple of other Canary Islands. As general advice I would say the following:

1. Check the Moon phase during your visit and plan your sessions accordingly. Ideally you want no Moon in the sky while you're observing. A "dark site" in moonlight is not dark.

2. Find sites with a good southerly view, not looking over light-polluted resort areas. A mountain site will certainly be best in terms of getting above clouds and having steady air, but you may find that a more easily accessible low-altitude site (e.g. south-facing beach) is good enough. Observatories were built on mountains because of atmospheric stability (steady "seeing"), not to escape light pollution.

3. Make an observing list of southerly objects that you can't see (or see well) from UK. Tenerife is latitude 28 degrees so you can see objects down to declination -62 degrees. In UK you can never see objects more southerly than about -40 degrees so there's a lot of extra sky to look at, if you find a site with a decent southerly view.

In Lanzarote I found a great site a short drive from my resort. In Fuerteventura I walked. Would love to go to Tenerife - I'm sure you'll have a great holiday.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Never been to Tenerife. On my last visit to Lanzarote i brought my 70mm scope and i saw the Moon once and nothing else. The clouds followed me from Ireland. It was perfect during the day but nights got cloudy. I still had fun though because i was staying in a place called Matagorda and my apartment block was at the foot of the arrivals runway. Planes flew over very low every few mins all day up til 10pm. It was a very social thing as most of us gathered at the pool bar to watch the planes come right over us. After a couple of days the novelty wore off and we didnt even notice the planes.

[Special K]

Thanks all for the replies and tips, that's really useful.  As a prerequisite, I booked the trip to coincide with a new Moon, so at least I've got that bit right! 

I have observed from here on several occasions...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Santa+Cruz+de+Tenerife,+Spain/@28.2381018,-16.6971622,1049m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0xc41cceccc254171:0x43111473d277e52e!6m1!1e1

...warm clothes and wind break!

Also managed to take TMB 92SS APO etc. in hand luggage.  Heavy duty dismantled photo tripod and tablet mount in luggage.  Used taped on filled water bottles as counter-weights.

Good luck!!

Paul

P.S.  Don't think any booking is required for the Caldera...

That layby looks promising and bet there are plenty more like it.  Yes, the Caldera looks ideal and down in the crater, there shouldn't be much LP.  I think I might have been looking at a booking site for the cablecar......in Spanish

[Charic]

I visited Tenerife in 2012,  they had 4x4 day trips to Mount Teide back then, but the family wanted a day trip to go and see the animals at  Loro Parque?

If I get another chance, I'd like to go up Mt Teide, just to get above the weather, the skies should be really good, but dress for the occasion, I would imagine its pretty cool up there?

Your lucky having an ED80 but as a minimum,  binoculars must be  an essential   carry-on! Talking of which, carry the Nagler in your pocket if need be?

Enjoy the trip.

[Paul M]

Christanos is a busy, brightly lit town which along with Las Americas and Adeje forms a glowing conurbation. You won't see much from in resort.

We get over there twice a year so I've been many times. Never left the resorts after dark and have never driven abroad (ever!) so can't recommend any specific observing spots.

Las Canadas (the outer caldera) is a good drive from the southern resorts and best done before dark! 

It's not just the light pollution that makes getting up to the caldera a good idea, there often is a humid haze at low levels in the Canaries. The semi-permanent layer of stratocumulus cloud is a nuisance too!

We generally go there in spring and autumn and find crisp, cloudless skies are a definite minority, although the cloud layer tends to melt away after sunset.

We'll be back there in November

[Special K]

I gave the AZ4 a test drive the other night and found it a shock from my EQ! Putting the Nagler on the end puts it way out of balance so I'll need to develop some techniques here. I think I will need to load some weight on the front of the dovetail to compensate. Azimuth balance is fine but the Alt was jerky because I had to clutch it quite tight, and the imbalance increased as the Alt was increased due to the Nagler sticking way out. This was with the EP positioned straight up. Perhaps it is more balanced if the diagonal is parallel with the ground...

Here's our little Quality Controller on the case !

[Special K]

Well, we have made it to Tiede by day and it rained all the way up, ha ha! Looked more like going across the Pennines. Sky is brightening and the rain will have cleared the air. Plenty of places to stop to set up a telescope and have got the car for the next two nights. Fingers crossed for good weather! Clear skies

[Paul M]

Well, we have made it to Tiede by day and it rained all the way up, ha ha! Looked more like going across the Pennines. Sky is brightening and the rain will have cleared the air. Plenty of places to stop to set up a telescope and have got the car for the next two nights. Fingers crossed for good weather! Clear skies

Be sure to post up some pictures of your temporary observing site. You never know, it might just inspire me to get up there one night when we get back in November.

Unlikely though. After a hard day scuba diving or people watching on the beach all I'm in the mood for in the evenings is Gin, lots of Gin

[Appleblossom]

Star Hopper... I used to live in Tenerife but came back around 15 years ago. Have read some of the comments but not all so excuse me if I repeat some of what has already been said. Hiring a vehicle & going up Mt. Teide is a good idea though the roads up there are very sharp corners at times & not ace at navigating at night if you are not familiar with the terrain. But saying that anywhere within the National Park if you can find a good spot with a clearing would be good, I would imagine. Las Americas is a waste of time, as is Adeje as I believe it is really built up there now. I, personally, would not go to the beach, less LP, in Los Cristianos as you would more likely get mugged than catch a good view of the night sky... Just my personal opinion. There is a beach away from LP called El Medano that the wind surfers use would, I imagine but you would need to put a jumper on as it gets very windy there. I am by no means recommending these sites just suggesting... Maybe it needs looking into further? Would want you to be safe whilst on holiday x  

[Paul M]

.... I, personally, would not go to the beach, less LP, in Los Cristianos as you would more likely get mugged than catch a good view of the night sky... Just my personal opinion. There is a beach away from LP called El Medano that the wind surfers use would, I imagine but you would need to put a jumper on as it gets very windy there. I am by no means recommending these sites just suggesting... Maybe it needs looking into further? Would want you to be safe whilst on holiday x  

Until quite recently we always felt safe walking back from Christianos to Las Americas along the promenade. Done it many times after a night out. Last year in one of our regular haunts I told the chap I'd been chatting to in a bar that we were setting off to walk back and he told me some stories that got me thinking. Indeed, about 5 years ago our friend and her father were walking back to their hotel in Los Christianos when the father was offered a "high five" from a young man walking towards them who then used the interaction to mug him. He suffered injuries that aged him 10 years and from which he has never really recovered. Since then we've heard other accounts of the same modus operandi. There is a lesson there I believe!

On our last trip we took that journey by taxi every time.

2 years ago In the middle of the day my wife was in a beach-front tat shop and lost here purse to a pick-pocket. 

I know, I know, it can happen anywhere but it's worth knowing that petty crime is on the rise in the resorts. 

Anyway, the promenades are floodlight all night so the resort beaches are even worse than the rest of the resort!

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/espana/canarias/santa-cruz-de-tenerife/playa-las-vistas.html

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/espana/canarias/santa-cruz-de-tenerife/playa-los-cristianos.html

[Special K]

Right, now I've done the trip, I'd like to share the practical things that I found out in case it's of any use to others who go for some astro-tourism too

No surprises, the location can be fantastic, but don't underestimate mother nature's capacity to turn it all upside down!  This August has been really odd weather-wise, and all the local people I spoke to about it said it was extremely rare to have rain.  The Calima had brought dust and hot winds from the Sahara that reduced transparency.  Atlantic storms brought rain but this actually cleared the air of particles.  Under 700m you can be subject to a marine layer so to echo the advice given by others, the best bet is to head up to the Caldera.  It can be windy so the seeing may not be great, but the transparency on a clear night is to die for.  If in doubt about the forecast, get your hotel reception to phone up the information point to get a feel for the outlook up there as it's much higher.  This paid off in my case, and I'm extremely grateful for the kind staff for checking.

I was struck by how it wasn't absolutely pitch black up on the Caldera.  You can see your hand in front of you that's for sure, so maybe that is due to the proximity to civilization.  However, you will not get any direct glare unless you are near a road or a tourist spot, and the view of the Milky Way is glorious to say the least.  I'm not sure whether this is a Bortle 2 or 3.  NELM must have been getting up for 7 at a guess.  My final session lasted till 1am and it was getting a little chilly with jeans and a jumper, but not particularly uncomfortable.  I took a pair of thermal socks but didn't dream of putting them on!  I would imagine Winter is much colder, though, so bulk up just in case. 

You have quite a bit of options where to observe from.  I was told by friends to ascend the Caldera (if coming from the southern resorts) via the TF-38.  This isn't as windey and there are stops where you can park up a car and have a look from the photography viewpoints.  If you really want to get away from civ then there are some walking paths off the parking spots for photography, and if possible explore them during the day to choose a spot.  You could potentially have a pitch on a path out of the way of car lights.  I took the family up to the Hotel Parador to have a look at the highlights during the day and this really helped in knowing my way around at night.  Or you can go for a more social setting yet still dark, across the road from the Hotel Parador.  There is a short road that leads to a roundabout where there are rock terraces to view the crater during the day.  At night, these attract the AP crowd and various onlookers including families.  I chose the lowest terrace on the final night as it seemed remote yet it still had a superb southerly aspect.  I think there is a path that goes to some kind of viewing area off of the road which is another circular area and away from headlights.  That might attract the telescope crews, not sure.  I only saw one scope besides my own on my two nights there, and most people were there in groups doing the starwalk thing.  One bonus is you will have mobile reception from the hotel in case you need to keep anxious loved ones apprised of your situation.....

As for getting your kit there, it depends how much heavy artillery you have!  I thought an ED80 would be travelling light but this is not the case at all.   I opted for the dangerous choice and put my gear in the hold, but with a smaller scope it probably is best to carry on and send the mount through in the suitcase.  Having arrived home, there doesn't seem to be any damage to components so this part has been a success.  I took the EP's in hand luggage and didn't get inspected leaving the UK.  However, I got inspected leaving Tenerife! 

If you go, you'll most surely be rewarded, but just be careful if going into the wilds.   The report on what I saw is here

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/250533-views-from-the-volcano/#entry2731562

Clear Skies!

[clarkpm4242]

I hope your write up helps others get out of the resorts!  There is so much more on show at that latitude

Tricky with family etc. but surely well worth the effort

I met local Spanish/Tenerifian astronomers when observing on La Palma...

...they go there to escape the light pollution caused by the big Tenerife resorts, visible even when in the caldera  

Where to next??  

Cheers

Paul

[Special K]

How about Hawaii ?!!!

La Palma sounds like the place.

Thanks for your earlier recommendation on that site. I stopped there once or twice and there was a biker gang hanging out one night. It was a bit lively!

[ngwillym]

Thanks everyone for all the useful info - wife & I are off to Tenerife on 8th Sept and I've booked the star gazing tour - I'll only be able to take the DSLR & a tripod - hope to get a few good pics at least