Astro La Palma
Astro La Palma
4.5
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Full view
About
Enjoy the stars as you've never seen them before! In La Palma you'll find our astronomy tours for stargazing, workshops for beginners and Starparties for amateur astronomers. Look up and discover the best quality sky in the world with us! Business dedicated to Astronomy tours for general public and the International Workshop of landscape astrophotography run annually, AstroMaster La Palma. Soon new activities!
Travellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
410 reviews
Excellent
333
Very good
50
Average
18
Poor
4
Terrible
5
Usama V
Leicester, UK2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
Of all the things I did in La Palma this was by far the best. The star gazing tour was nothing short of breathtaking.
The guide explained the constellations very clearly and even as a complete novice I picked up on so much. Observing the stars through the telescopes only added to the experience. LaPalmaStars also took a brilliant photo of us so this tour will be etched in our memories forever.
The night sky was something to behold. Above the clouds you feel like you're standing at the edge of the universe and an almost overwhelming feeling of awe overtook me as I gazed at the stars above.
Well worth every penny, do not miss.
The guide explained the constellations very clearly and even as a complete novice I picked up on so much. Observing the stars through the telescopes only added to the experience. LaPalmaStars also took a brilliant photo of us so this tour will be etched in our memories forever.
The night sky was something to behold. Above the clouds you feel like you're standing at the edge of the universe and an almost overwhelming feeling of awe overtook me as I gazed at the stars above.
Well worth every penny, do not miss.
Written 8 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JABDover
Dover, UK57 contributions
Jan 2020
A fabulous evening spent with Ana & her colleague studying the stars. The tour was extremely well organised, and we were fortunate to be in a small group of eleven English speakers, while the Spanish speakers were in a separate group. So we got lots of attention. Ana is a very good teacher with excellent English, and has the ability to make the evening entertaining as well as educational. It is true that the lesson is aimed at beginners and you could find it all out online, but that does not take into account the whole experience which is wonderful. They email you a photo of your group afterwards. Should you not receive it, you only have to remind them; the company is very efficient. We chose to pay for their transport which was very comfortable and well worthwhile.
This is the third time I have done this tour, and I would like to point out that the company Astro La Palma has now been renamed La Palma Astronomy Tours, also going under the name of La PalmaStars. They are still based in Los Cancajos.
This is the third time I have done this tour, and I would like to point out that the company Astro La Palma has now been renamed La Palma Astronomy Tours, also going under the name of La PalmaStars. They are still based in Los Cancajos.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debra D
Hednesford, UK15 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
A wonderful experience with the Astro La Palma team last night. We chose the 'with transport' option but you can join a convoy if you want to use your own transport. On arrival at the designated place after around an hours drive we were amazed by the dark sky filled with the brightest stars. Even the Milky Way was was clearly visible with the naked eye. Ana made the evening really interesting for all levels of knowledge. As previous reviews have stated, wrap up warm, it's very cold. An experience I'll never forget. Thank you Ana.
Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
springs63
London158 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We were a it worried at first as, due to some cloud, we were going to drive about a hour up to 2000m near Roque de los Muchachos. But no problems, driving in convoy was fine. It was very cold up there but our guide was excellent, lots of really interesting info aimed at novices like ourselves with even more info for more experienced amateurs with questions. Cant recommend it any more highly, well worth the drive and the cold night!
Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raquel I
Spain6 contributions
Nov 2022 • Solo
Me ha encantado la experiencia. Candy transmite sus conocimientos para que todo el mundo lo entienda, cubre todos los principles aspectos: estrella polar, la Luna, constelaciones, estrellas y planetas. Una pasada! Encima al final te hace una foto de recuerdo. Muy top!
I loved this experience. Candy conveys her knowledge in a way that suits everyone. She goes through all the main subjects: the polar star, the moon, constellations, other stars and planets. Amazing! Besides this, she takes a picture of you with the sky at the background so you can keep a nice memory as well. Top 🔝
I loved this experience. Candy conveys her knowledge in a way that suits everyone. She goes through all the main subjects: the polar star, the moon, constellations, other stars and planets. Amazing! Besides this, she takes a picture of you with the sky at the background so you can keep a nice memory as well. Top 🔝
Written 29 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alessandro
23 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Absolutely amazing experience. We did this tour in our trip to la Palma. We were a bit unlucky as the day of the tour the sky was cloudy, but Ana gave us the option to change it to next day.
We learned a lot of things about stars, constellations and how to point/find them out. At the end Ana took also an amazing pic of us just below the beautiful milky way.
Ps) it was also nice that for people who don’t understand spanish very well, to have the explanation in english.
We learned a lot of things about stars, constellations and how to point/find them out. At the end Ana took also an amazing pic of us just below the beautiful milky way.
Ps) it was also nice that for people who don’t understand spanish very well, to have the explanation in english.
Written 17 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tasmin W
Wales, UK7 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
It is worth knowing that you won't be able to hire any equipment without being trained in how to use it. We drove across the island to be told that, as beginners, we couldn't rent any equipment. This would be perfectly acceptable if it weren't for the opposite impression being created by the company's website, and a certain newspaper's article promoting the island, the company and stargazing for said beginners. Very disappointing.
Written 31 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is true we do not recommed renting a telescope for beginners. Without knowing the sky and without knowing how to work out the equipment, it would be a waste of money. We do this out of honesty and also to keep our equipment safe. Perhaps you could have phone us before to inquire about the rental and without appearing in our office. Not just to know the terms and conditions for rental, but also, to know our availability of equipment.
Just as a comparison, when someone rents a car, a driving license is necessary. Renting a car without knowing the basics of driving is dangerous and useless. You would not leave the carpark or even worse you could hurt yourself or someone else. Well, by renting a telescope with knowing the sky, you would not have found anything in the sky. Mounting and making a telescope work is not easy without previous basic knowledge. Also you could damage your eyes or the telescope.
But as I say, we could have gladly taken your money but then perhaps there would have been a complaint from you as you did not get to see anything through the telescope. It is a no-win situation but we prefer the honest option.
Written 9 March 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fons K
Hulst, The Netherlands1 contribution
Nov 2014 • Couples
When visiting the beautiful Island of La Palma I was (as an amateur astronomer) of course interested in the excursion organized by Astro La Palma. (http://www.astrolapalma.com/en) With about 20 people from many different nationalities we went to a very dark place in the neighbourhood of El Paso, somewhere between the Caldera Taburiente and its visitor center. I've visited many places in the world but I never experienced the night skies like I did over there. Wow! A spectacular view of the Milky Way and many thousands of stars. Allthough I'am quite familiar with stars and constellations I must admit I sometimes lost my way in this spectacular sky. Ana and her companion absolutely gave a great insight in the visible universe without using to many difficult terms. She led us arround the night skies along different constellations and stars of importance but also galactic nebulas and star clusters (like the Pleiades) and talked about star formation and -types, distances in space related to present time etc. etc. Everything was clarified by using a strong blue laser pointer and for the deep sky objects two telescopes where erected and pointed to the subjects she was talking about. She really managed to attach the people to her story and interest, mainly due to her enthousiasm for astronomy and for being a very sympathetic person too. Some people had some more difficult questions about the universe, but she answered them all. In the middle of the excursion there was a short break to have a nice cup of coffee (or something else). I would certainly highly recommend this excursion to all those folks who hardly don't know nothing about our universe and night skies but also to the insiders. Don't forget to put on some warm clothing 'cause it can be very chilly/cold in the mountains. Btw: I added some photos I tried to make over there.
Written 27 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura H
Cambridgeshire, UK15 contributions
May 2014 • Couples
The best trip we had during our whole stay at La Palma was without a doubt the Astro La Palma trip we went on.
We booked via our hotel (we wanted to book online but ran out of time and were lucky enough to book from the Princess hotel thanks to a great Thomson rep) and they gave us the option to drive ourselves up to the top of the mountains or to join a taxi ride with other people attending the trip for a small fee. I would 110% recommend going up in the taxi! The roads can be very dangerous with hair pin bends and thick heavy fog almost the entire way up, as well as us experiencing a rock fall while heading up. Not to mention finishing up really late and being exhausted on the way down. Not having to worry about driving makes a huge difference.
Once you get to the top of the mountain you can see the sun setting, that in itself is an amazing experience! And the skies seem to just get darker and darker by the second.
Me and my partner (he is a keen amature astronmer for years) have been to many dark skies in the UK and without a doubt these are the best skies you could imagine. There were so many stars we could barely make out any constellations!
And then as the evening went on the milky way came out to show its true beauty - it was the most breathtaking views you can imagine!
The person running the trip (Agustin Nunez) was brilliant. His day job is working at one of the observatories so he really knows his stuff. He was friendly and very informative, and could happily talk about his passion for the skies all night. He also didn't mind variations of questions right from basic to advanced, and this generally made the group feel more relaxed.
Right at the point where everyone was freezing and tired, he gave out cups of tea and a muffin for us all! That really made the night for me.
We then took photos under the stars which was emailed out to all of our group for free.
Please, even if you're not hugely into astronomy, take the opportunity to try something new and go see the best preserved skies in Europe!!
You won't regret it!
We booked via our hotel (we wanted to book online but ran out of time and were lucky enough to book from the Princess hotel thanks to a great Thomson rep) and they gave us the option to drive ourselves up to the top of the mountains or to join a taxi ride with other people attending the trip for a small fee. I would 110% recommend going up in the taxi! The roads can be very dangerous with hair pin bends and thick heavy fog almost the entire way up, as well as us experiencing a rock fall while heading up. Not to mention finishing up really late and being exhausted on the way down. Not having to worry about driving makes a huge difference.
Once you get to the top of the mountain you can see the sun setting, that in itself is an amazing experience! And the skies seem to just get darker and darker by the second.
Me and my partner (he is a keen amature astronmer for years) have been to many dark skies in the UK and without a doubt these are the best skies you could imagine. There were so many stars we could barely make out any constellations!
And then as the evening went on the milky way came out to show its true beauty - it was the most breathtaking views you can imagine!
The person running the trip (Agustin Nunez) was brilliant. His day job is working at one of the observatories so he really knows his stuff. He was friendly and very informative, and could happily talk about his passion for the skies all night. He also didn't mind variations of questions right from basic to advanced, and this generally made the group feel more relaxed.
Right at the point where everyone was freezing and tired, he gave out cups of tea and a muffin for us all! That really made the night for me.
We then took photos under the stars which was emailed out to all of our group for free.
Please, even if you're not hugely into astronomy, take the opportunity to try something new and go see the best preserved skies in Europe!!
You won't regret it!
Written 10 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eric h
Liverpool, UK16 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
January 20th 2018....We paid £35 each to AstroLaPalma......it began badly..... because it was not explained exactly where we would meet on the night of our stargazing experience we had trouble liaising with our guide.It was a cold night so we were told we couldn't go to the Observatory which we were looking forward to... we had to go to the National Park lodge about 20 minutes from Los Cancajos .It was a clear sky and the stars were amazing when we arrived. There was only one guide and she had a smallish telescope for us to use...she also had a laser which didn't always work...the experience lasted for about an hour and a half..it was mildly informative..then we were driven back to Los Cancajos...the whole experience was underwhelming and not good value
Written 1 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Eric. Thanks for your review but I am afraid you have purchased a ticket without previously reading what you were buying. This is not unique to you but it is still frustrating to us, given that we taken the time to detail every condition on our website/tickets and we are also open to every question prior/post purchase. After all, I have also bought things online without reading what it includes. It is quite easy to click on "reserve". But after my error, I realise that the dissapointment was completely my fault.
We explain our views as follows. Our astronomy tours (NIGHT) are never at the Observatory. This is not allowed to the general public. We do not sell tickets for an astronomy tour at the Observatory, we do not advertise it. In fact on our website and tickets we have clearly written: "Our astronomy (night) activities do NOT take place at the Observatory at any time as it is close to the public at night." If you thought you were purchasing a ticket to the Observatory, but did not get to go, it is obviously dissapointing, but I am afraid we did not offer it.
What we offer is an astronomy tour in one of the astronomy viewpoints or good sites for stargazing on the island. The whole island is a Dark Sky Reserve so it is not difficult to find a suitable site, weather permitting of course. On our website and tickets it reads: "Site for the activity: it varies, it depends on weather conditions and altitude of clouds." Cold nights are the norm in winter, in fact, we warn repeteadly of the temperature conditions on the website. This was not the reason not to go to the Observatory but that only professionals are allowed at the Observatory.
As for the meeting point, it is again in written our website and tickets: "Travesía de los Cancajos, 27, 38711 Breña Baja". We also give a map and GPS coordinates. There is no need to talk to the guide to arrange a meeting point. We give it in advance and it has been the same one for 5 years now. By reading the website or looking at your tickets, you would have easily found the meeting point.
Level of astronomy. This activity is for the general public. It is not for amateurs. All guides have 2 lasers to use just in case and the telescopes are amateur (8" and further) which are more than enough for a beginner. Depending on the size of the group there are more guides and more telescopes. On 20/01 there were 11 people on your group, so one telescope and one guide was more than enough to see, to listen and to view the sky. Also the level is tailored for the general public. Most people that come to our tours do not know how to identify Polaris, or focus on a telescope or the difference between a star and a planet. The duration of the activity is also written on our website/tickets.
Thanks again for your review.
Written 22 March 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hello, I will be visiting La Palma March 14-15 2020. Will the milky way be visible at thsi time? Thanks
Written 5 February 2020
Hi Kristen, I'm sorry I'm not an expert but I'm sure if you email the lovely people at Astro La Palma they will be able to help. Enjoy La Palma, we loved it there and can't wait to go back.
Written 6 February 2020
Hi. I'm wondering 2 things: is the cost for a couple €180? Also, where does the tour depart frim.? Thanks .
Written 6 November 2019
Hi. Yes, the cost for a private stargazing experience is 180EUR. This would be only for a couple. Departure will be arranged between the guide and couple (usually hotel as this is a private activity). However, if you prefer a group activity, cost of tickets are 27 EUR and meeting point is in our office in Los Cancajos (Breña Baja). Detailed info activites is on our website.
Written 8 November 2019
Hallo Urlauber, kann mir einer sagen wo ich eine Astro Tour auf Deutsch buchen kann?
Mein Englisch reicht leider nicht aus.
Gruß Maik
Written 11 March 2018
Hi, I´m afraid german tours are for groups right now. I am so sorry!
Written 23 March 2018
Ich möchte gerne zur Sternenbeobachtung im November; ich wohne in los Cancajos , aber spreche wenig englisch; gibt es auch eine Möglichkeit eine Tour mit deutscher Sprache zu buchen?
Written 8 October 2017
Hallo Ines,
This autumn winter we will have a tour in German. We are preparing it. Right now only English/Spanish I´m afraid. Please contact us later this autum.
Written 9 October 2017
Hi, I would like to book this tour as a SURPRISE for myself and my partner for next month. Does the cost include transportation from the hotel (We are staying in the Hacienda San Jorge). Can I book online, and pay with card, or pay upon arrival? Can you give me details please so I can book?
Thank you so much,
Karen Jones
Written 10 January 2017
Hi, transport is optional and can be booked online. It leaves from our meeting point (map on our web and tickets) which is barely 5 mins walk from your hotel. You can pay online via paypal also with credit card. All the conditions are on our website on the Tours section. Safe journey to La Palma!
Written 10 January 2017
Me and 2kids 6,9y-o are going to LP next week. On their website it looks like they don't admit kids but when I read these comments they say 'great experience for kids'.
Q; is this event for kids also? :)
Written 3 January 2017
Me and 2kids 6,9y-o are going to LP next week. On their website it looks like they don't admit kids but when I read these comments they say 'great experience for kids'.
Q; is this event for kids also? :)
Written 3 January 2017
Hi, our astronomy tours are for kids and adults. They do not take place at the professional Observatory but at astronomy viewpoints. For visits to the Observatory please book directly with them and their tripadvisor is "Observatorium Roque de Los Muchachos" (kids under 12 years old are not allowed on visits I´m afraid). Regards
Written 10 January 2017
We are visiting La Palma in early January. How do you book these tours?
Written 31 December 2016
On their site, you can pay with a credit card. Book early because sometimes you Will be put on á waiting list. When the weather should be bad you can go on another day or you can have your money back.
Written 1 January 2017
We are staying in Fuencaliente on the west side of the island. Do you know if there is any way of being picked up from there to go on this excursion?
Written 29 November 2016
I don't think so. Once you are at there office/meeting point they offer to drive you to the points where the stargazing takes place. But you van call them. The phone number and office hours are on their website
Written 30 November 2016
Buenas noches,
me gustaría saber en qué zona de la isla se realiza la visita, y si recogen clientes para la excursión en la zona de Los Cancajos.
muchas gracias
Written 8 September 2016
Hola: como ya han comentado, las oficinas y lugar de salida esta en los Cancajos, en las oficinas (hotel Las Olas en la avenida principal de Los Cancajos). El lugar para la actividad depende de las condiciones climatológicas del día concreto.
Written 15 September 2016
Showing results 1-10 of 17