- Visit the world’s most important solar observatory exclusively, during daytime hours
- You will be amazed by the inside of a nocturnal telescope
- Prepare to be astounded when you observe the Sun using telescopes available to you only
- Available without transportation
- A minimum reservation for 4 people or an equivalent fee is required
- Guided visit of the Teide Observatory
- Spanish, English, German, French, Russian or Italian-speaking guide
- Transportation (optional)
- Guide in other language than Spanish, English, German, French, Russian or Italian
Information
Pick-up points and hours
Exclusive guided visits of the Teide Observatory are held during daytime hours. Once you have made your booking, our Customer service department will contact you to inform you of the exact starting time of the activity.
If you book the exclusive guided visit of the Teide Observatory without transportation, you must arrive at the Izaña Observatory at least 30 minutes before the tour is scheduled to start.
If you book the guided visit with transport, we will pick you up at the entrance to your place of accommodation or from a nearby location.
Restrictions
Children under 8 are not allowed to participate in the guided visit of the Teide Observatory.
The Observatory is not recommended for people with poor general physical health (anaemia, heart disease, respiratory problems, and so on), nor for individuals with reduced mobility as the tour requires the use of paths and stairs.
In order to access the Tenerife Observatory it is necessary to either have own transport or book our transfer service.
If you plan to arrive to the Tenerife Observatory by taxi, please take into account that it will have to drive you inside the premises, since the installations are 2 km away from the meeting point at the access gate, and the driver will have to remain on the premises until the end of the activity.
It is not allowed to access the premises by bicycle.
Please bear in mind that you must have a sufficient knowledge of the language in which the visit of the Teide Observatory is held in order to be able to correctly follow the explanations of the guide.
Pets are not allowed.
Important information
IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO BRING A COPY OF YOUR RESERVATION, EITHER PRINTED OR ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE.
The activity is subject to the availability of our guides.
A minimum reservation for 4 people or an equivalent fee is required.Prepare for your visit
Teide Observatory
Purchase of this service to visit the Teide Observatory implies that you have read and accepted all the points described in the following section:
RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS FOR VISITORS
We appreciate your interest in visiting theTeide Observatory (OT)and we hope that you enjoy your visit.
The Teide Observatory is not responsible for the difficulties or discomfort caused by not following these recommendations.
The arranged visits will only be carried out when the weather and the operating status of the telescopes permit. Due to adverse weather conditions, especially during winter, which may affect the safety of the roads leading to the Observatory (snow, ice, falling rocks) visits may be unexpectedly cancelled.
Before visiting the Teide Observatory
Health and altitude
The Teide Observatory (TO) is located at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters above sea level, an altitude at which oxygen diminishes. Groups will move about within the Tenerife Observatory on gravel paths. For this reason, the visit is not recommended for people with general health problems (anaemia, breathing or heart problems, etc.). If you are not sure if you should visit, consult your doctor first.
The Teide Observatory is not responsible for any health problems that can be caused by the altitude or by not following these recommendations and warnings.
The Tenerife Observatory does not have medical assistance within its facilities.
Bear in mind that the closest hospital is approximately one and a half hours away by car.
If you show symptoms of dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, ringing in your ears, plugged ears or headache during your visit, please, immediatelyinform the guide in charge of the tour of the Teide Observatory.
Recommended equipment for a visit of the Teide Observatory
- Protect yourself from the sun. It’s recommended that you use hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.
- Due to the low levels of humidity that are common in the Tenerife Observatory, bring sufficient liquid (water or juices) to prevent dehydration.
- Bring comfortable clothes and adequate footwear (avoid sandals and heels).
- Bring some warm clothes in case the weather changes abruptly and to enter the interior of the telescopes.
Transportation and punctuality (for visits of the Teide Observatory that do not include pick-up)
We ask that you be very punctual. Bear in mind that the Observatory is located at an altitude of 2,400 m and that you must travel on high mountain roads to reach it. Therefore, please make sure that you calculate well the time needed to reach the Tenerife Observatory.
If you are making your own way here, YOU MUST ARRIVE AT THE TO’s GATE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE the scheduled time of the tour of the Teide Observatory. Upon your arrival, you will be instructed by the personnel attending the visitors to the Teide Observatory where to go.
If you arrive late, the visit of the Teide Observatory will be cut short (but it will never be extended) by the same amount of time, andcan even be cancelledif the delay is considerable and it causes problems for later scheduled visits.
During your visit of the Teide Observatory
What should I do when I arrive?
When you arrive at the Tenerife Observatory, centre personnel will be waiting for you at the access gate to let you know what to do with the car(s) or couch(es). Please always follow the instructions you receive.
Remember that there is no need to ring the bell, and please do not block the entrance. You may park in the designated parking spaces while you wait.
Please do not forget to bring identification (ID card or passport) and a copy of your reservation to confirm access. If you are unable to produce identification and/or the booking confirmation, the TO/IAC does not guarantee your visit of the Teide Observatory.
Warnings during the visit of the Teide Observatory
For security reasons, proper operation and care of the environment, the Tenerife Observatory administration asks you to closely follow the following rules during your visit:
- Since the visits of the Teide Observatory are subject to time limits and schedule constraints, the time to use the toilet is before the visit starts. Please leave the toilet as clean as you found it!
- Please be respectful of the surroundings as the Tenerife Observatory is located in a National Park. It is prohibited to:
- Smoke and eat
- Throw away rubbish except where indicated
- Leave the established paths.
- For your own safety, please remain with your assigned group throughout your visit of the Teide Observatory and follow the instructions given by the guide at all times.
- In case you are given suits or safety equipment in the facilities area, they should be properly used and cared for.
It is absolutely prohibited to leave the safety area or touch anything inside the buildings.
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Description
This friendly island is so much more than just sun and beaches.
Tenerife is also famous for science and its volcanoes.
You must already know that the Canary Islands are, along with Chile and Hawaii, one of the three best spots in the world to observe the sky, which is why we are fortunate to have the world’s largest solar observatory here on the island.
This important research centre began to operate in 1964 and currently focuses on solar observations and robotic astronomy. In fact, Izaña Observatory is home to many solar and nocturnal telescopes, owned by different European countries.
Did you know that the researchers who work at the Teide Observatory make great contributions to the field of science, with one scientific publication per day on average?
In fact, the discovery of the Sun having its own frequency and beating like a heart every five minutes was made at the Teide Observatory!
Experience the scientific side of Tenerife in an exclusive way with a visit of the Teide Observatory
Book you exclusive visit of the Teide Observatory today and enjoy this spectacular scientific centre during the day with us and with whomever you choose.
On our exclusive guided tour of the Observatory you will get to know the world’s largest solar observatory and the activities of the researchers who work there.
Our guides, available exclusively to you, will make you and your companions feel like scientists for a day as during our tours of the Teide Observatory:
- You will be introduced in an exclusive way to the astronomical importance of the sky in the Canary Islands, the Teide Observatory telescopes and the different projects of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics, the institution that manages this solar observatory.
- You will participate in an exclusive workshop on astrophysics given at the visitor centre, in which our guides will explain what astrophysics is and how astrophysicists at the Teide Observatory work.
- You will observe sunspots and solar flares through two solar telescopes, which we will make available only to you, so that you can fully enjoy the exclusive privilege of beholding the Sun.
- You will explore the inside of a nocturnal telescope privately and won’t leave until you know how it functions and learn about its exciting history.