Tenerife: Teide Sunset Self-Drive & Stargazing with Telescopes

4.80

(148 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We’d barely parked when our guide, Marta, waved us over—she had this easy way of making you feel like you’d known her longer than five minutes. She handed me a glass of cava (I went for juice after the first sip, honestly) and pointed out where the last eruption left these wild black rocks all around us. I didn’t expect the air to smell so clean up there, almost sharp, and it was colder than I thought. Everyone kept pulling their jackets tighter as we watched the sun drop behind La Palma and El Hierro. Marta laughed when I tried to pronounce “Narices del Teide”—I think I butchered it but she just grinned.

After that, we followed her car in this slow little parade up even higher—my ears popped a bit. At 2000 meters, it felt like we were standing on another planet, honestly. The sky got dark fast and suddenly there were more stars than I’ve ever seen in my life. Marta set up the telescopes while someone’s kid kept asking if we’d see aliens (no luck). We took turns peering at Saturn’s rings—tiny but clear—and she used a laser pointer to draw lines between constellations. There was this moment where everyone just went quiet at once; you could hear gravel crunching underfoot and nothing else.

I still think about that silence sometimes—it’s weird how a place can feel huge and close all at once. The drive back down felt slower, headlights picking out bits of old lava flows. My hands smelled faintly of cava and dust from leaning on those rocks. If you’re looking for a day trip from Tenerife that isn’t just beaches or bars, this stargazing tour is something else—even if you don’t know your Orion from your elbow.