Standing above the clouds and taking in the dramatic rock formations and giant, other-worldly telescopes, I tell my friend Jeremy – who I met just three days ago – that I think this must be what Mars looks like. We are 2,400m above sea level at the Roque de los Muchachos viewpoint in La Palma on the Canary Islands, which gives a breathtaking panoramic view of a giant 1,500m-deep volcanic crater, covered with trees and stunning volcanic rock formations. As the sun begins to set, our tour guide hands out glasses of red wine to our group of 20 and we all watch in awe as one of the most dramatic sunsets I’ve ever seen descends over the clouds, leaving a clear night sky that’s perfect for stargazing.
This 5 1/2-hour tour costs from £47 per person (Lapalmatransfer.com). Driving down the steep, winding road, we pass one of the main attractions on the island, the Observatorio del Roque, a complex of telescopes and observatories and a UNESCO Astronomy Heritage Site, which you can tour in the daytime.
Thirty minutes later, while two powerful telescopes are set up, our group admires the stars before we get the chance to spy the planet Venus and jaw-dropping particles of stardust. It’s easy to see why this island is known as Isla de las Estrellas – island of the stars. La Palma, one of the eight main islands that make up the Canary Islands, is very different from the others that I’ve visited, with its rugged landscape of volcanoes , forests, beaches and world-renowned obse.
