Category: Tenerife Travel Tips

Posts about practical advice for visiting the island, including transportation, accommodation, and best times to visit.

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The Power of Silence

I’ve been quiet for too long, but during that time, I’ve been focused on creating a lifestyle that allows me to grow as a multidisciplinary and well-rounded individual. For me, this is what being human is all about. While silence may not be the best for attracting visitors, it remains a powerful friend and refuge, helping us move forward. Years after my first post, here I am again—stronger and ready to bring this site to life. I hope you enjoy everything that’s coming next.

Can I find introspection in Tenerife’s hidden spots? Are there still such places left on the island?
Yes, there are, but timing is everything. In a world full of noise and constant activity, moments of silence can help us reconnect with ourselves. Tenerife, shaped by volcanic activity for more than 10 million years, offers tranquil spots and a perfect environment for introspection.

If you want to discover the real, deeper side of Tenerife, you’ll need to be like an owl—embrace the early morning while most tourists are still having breakfast or winding down for the night. Explore places like Teide National Park at sunrise or, even better, after midnight, when the tour buses have left, leaving a quiet, serene atmosphere. Other spots include the hidden beaches of Benijo at sunset, or the peaceful mountain trails in the Anaga Rural Park early in the morning. In these places, you can truly experience the beauty of nature without distractions. Silence in Tenerife isn’t just about the absence of noise—it’s about embracing the peaceful solitude of this natural wonder we islanders call home.

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Light pollution

What can I say? I am not a city lover. Yes, I know cities hold the entertainment and an ever-changing cultural thrive. That is why you visit them, at least I visit them. One of the major feelings when I have been in cities is a disconnection with the nature around. I do not just referring to trees and forest, ’cause there are indeed interesting cities with great parks and forests in their surrounds. I mean the whole, nature around and nature above.

Recently I visited Berlín and Stockholm. Great parks, for sure, and dark cities when you compared them with Spanish or American cities. And yet too much light pollution. Have you heard about light pollution? Well, as I see it, it is spending taxes on illuminating the sky… for nothing! And a pain for sky watchers.

Putting in simply, light pollution is the mark left by an inefficient public light system illuminating cities. The sky is too bright and we completely lost the appreciation of a real dark night. Today there is technology for improving light systems, but it is expensive when you think about a whole country.

Clever people have done the numbers: about 80% of stars visible by sight are not visible from today’s cities. The results comes from the light pollution map made space satellites (Light Pollution Map). Last data results: 2015. Bellow, from left to right, I present you sections of that map centered on the three most important astrophysical observatories of the word: Atacama Desert (Chile), Big Island (Hawai’i) and La Palma (Canary Islands).

Atacama
Hawai’i

Even for the best and darkest skies of the world, there is work to do on fighting light pollution. Indeed, recently this year, the street lights of my town have been properly renovated. Additionally, there are interesting initiative such as Stars For All and Starlight Foundation that remind us the importance of preserving clear, dark skies. Hope to see an improvement on next update!

Finally, what defines a good observatory is not just light pollution. However, that’s for another entry.