Monthly Archives: January 2023

Which Is The Best Canary Island To Visit? — The Crown Wings

If you had asked me at the start of this year which is the best Canary Island in the Canary Islands, I’d have said none.

That sounds really harsh, but I’d always imagined super tacky tourist resorts, surrounded by golf courses with not much else to do. How wrong was I?!

After visiting the Canary Islands for the first time earlier this year, I fell in love with how each island has its own personality and became obsessed with their individual natural beauty.

A Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the Canary Islands are the perfect place to visit all year round but it can be difficult to decide which is the best Canary Island for you. Well, struggle no more!

In this post, I’m going to share which Canary Island is best for different types of trips as well as giving you an overview of each island so you can discover the best places in the Canary Islands.

Which Is The Best Canary Island?

Let’s get straight to the point, you want to know which is the best Canary Island for your trip and I want you to find it.

Best Canary Island for…

Beaches – Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria & Tenerife.

Couples – La Palma.

Diving – Chinijo Archipelago & Lanzarote.

Families – Lanzarote, Tenerife, & Fuerteventura.

Food – Fuerteventura, La Gomera & Lanzarote.

Hiking – La Gomera, Lanzarote & La Palma.

Nightlife – Gran Canaria & Tenerife.

Off the beaten track – Chinijo Archipelago, El Hierro & La Gomera

Shopping – Gran Canaria & Tenerife.

Surfing – Fuerteventura & Lanzarote.

Wildlife – Chinijo Archipelago, & El Hierro.

The Best Canary Island Destinations

Chinijo Archipelago

A collection of tiny islands to the north of Lanzarote, the Chinijo Archipelago is a little known natural oasis. With less than 1000 inhabitants, over 90% of the territory is pristine making it a must-visit for anyone wanting to get off the beaten track.

The only way to reach the archipelago is to get a ferry from the Orzola port in the north of Lanzarote. The journey takes just 15 minutes and you will arrive at La Graciosa, the main island and the only one which is inhabited. Once on La Graciosa, it’s easy to hop between the islands.

The main reason for visiting the Chinijo Archipelago is its unspoilt beauty. The area enjoys over 70,000 hectares of crystal clear water and the biggest Marine Reserva of Europe is also located around this area.

Under the sea, you’ll find reefs to explore and you can spot red mullets, barred hogfish, slipper lobsters, sea urchins, parrotfish and starfish to name just a few.

On land, you can enjoy the many pristine beaches the island has to offer as well as see some rare birds and lizards.

The best things to do in the Chinijo Archipelago:

• Relax on La Cocina Beach, a tiny cove southwest of La Graciosa.
• Go on a boat tour of Montana Clara and spot whales and dolphins.
• Go Scuba-diving on Alegranza (get authorisation from the Canarian Government first).
• Visit Mirador del Rio, a natural balcony that gives incredible views of Haria.

El Hierro

One of the least ‘visitor-friendly’ islands in the Canary Islands, El Hierro is relatively hard to reach but offers adventurers a dramatic landscape to explore.

The most western island in the Canaries, El Hierro is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and 100% self-sufficient using renewable energy.

If you’re looking to escape modern life or do a spot of diving, El Hierro is worth the 3-hour ferry ride. Famous as the place where Columbus said goodbye to Europe, it’s an island of rugged hills and sheer cliffs waiting to be explored.

Home to huge lizards, a mysterious ancient settlement and a stunning sabine forest there’s plenty to do on this unspoilt island. When the temperatures get too hot, cool off in Charco Azul, a natural seawater pool in El Golfo valley or dive to one of the 46 dive sites surrounding the island.

The best things to do in El Hierro:

• Hike to Pico de Malpaso and enjoy sweeping views of the island.
• Explore Roques de Salmor and spot wildlife including lizards.
• Cool down in the natural pools of Pozo de las Calcosas.
• Admire Arco de La Tosca, a natural rock arch high above the sea.

Fuerteventura

Despite being the 2nd largest island in the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is one of the least developed.

Situated less than 100km from the African coast the whole island has a desert-like landscape, with its 65 miles of beaches being its main attraction.

The resort of Corralejo in the north is one of the best resorts in the Canary Islands and is home to the Corralejo dunes which look like something straight out of the Sahara Desert. Alternatively, visit the resorts of Costa Calma or Caleta de Fuste for a great selection of shops and restaurants.

Fuerteventura is famous for being home to more goats than people, and all foodies should try the delicious Majorero cheese made from their milk.

The island is also one of the windest in the Canary Islands making it the perfect place for wind sports such as windsurfing and kiteboarding. Visit Playa de Sotavento on the south coast and watch experts or take a few lessons yourself.

The best things to do in Fuerteventura:

• Have an animal experience at Oasis Park Fuerteventura.
• Spot rare birds and relax on Playa de la Concha beach on Lobos Island.
• Hike the trails at Montana de Tindaya and see the rock engravings.
• Visit Popcorn Beach and see the sand that looks like popcorn.

Gran Canaria

Offering the most diverse scenery of any of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is a good all-rounder.

Known as ‘a continent in miniature’, visitors can experience everything from dramatic mountains and sandy dunes to green forests and seaside resorts.

Playa de Las Canteras is one of Europe’s most famous city beaches and boasts warm waters all year round. Alternatively, head to the sprawling Natural Dune Reserve of Maspalomas and explore the unique sand dune landscape.

If you love to shop, spend a day in the capital Las Palmas which is also the largest city in the Canary Islands. Located in the north-east, the districts of Santa Catalina and Tirana have amazing boutiques, some of which are duty-free.

Las Palmas also has plenty of culture with the stunning old town of Veguetta being one of the most attractive. Visit the 15th Century Cathedral of Santa Ana or learn more about Christopher Colombus at the museum, Casa De Colon.

There’s also a great music scene in the city and plenty of lively nightlife.

The 3rd largest Canary Island, the island is very similar to Tenerife but has better beaches and a stunning historical quarter. In fact, it is claimed that Gran Canaria actually boasts the best views of Tenerife’s Mount Tide and its volcanic crater, but don’t tell Tenerife that!

The best things to do in Gran Canaria:

• Shop to you drop in the resort of Playa de Ingles.
• Explore the protected sand dunes of the Natural dune Reserve of Maspalomas.
• Go snorkelling on Las Canteras Beach.
• Hike up to Pico de las Nieves and enjoy sweeping views of the island.
• See the Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park and the Caves of Valeron.

La Gomera

La Gomera is a mysterious island, full of breathtaking landscapes, enchanting forests and even a secret language.

To reach the island you’ll need to take a ferry from Tenerife, La Palma or El Hierro to the capital of San Sabastian. Once here you’ll experience the magic of the Canary Islands without the mass tourism that can ruin some of the more popular islands.

The incredible landscape is a paradise for hikers, and the island has a well-marked trail network that will make you feel like an intrepid explorer. Mixing terraces and lush rainforest with hills and ravines, you’re sure to come across breathtaking views whatever route you take.

Surrounding the islands highest mountain, Alto de Garajonay, Garajonay National Park is a must-visit for all nature lovers. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986, it has a unique Laurel Forest ecosystem that provides a peaceful playground for you to explore.

After you’ve finished walking up an appetite, you will be able to sample some of the traditional Canarian cuisine in the capital San Sebastian. There are a couple of notable delicacies you should try including:

• Potaje De Berros – watercress soup served on wooden plates
• Papas Arrugadas – boiled potatoes drizzled with Mojo, a fiery pepper sauce.
• Almagrote – a spicy cheese paste

For those of you looking for culture, make sure you visit Los Organos Natural, a giant cathedral organ cut into a cliff. Only accessible by sea, it measures 200 metres wide and 80 metres high. Definitely worthy of Instagram!

There are resorts on La Gomera, Playa Santiago and Valle Gran Rey, but these are quiet in comparison to Teneriffe and Lanzarote. The same can be said for the beaches, giving you plenty of space to relax.

Oh, and if you start to hear loud whistling and think you’ve drunk too much of the delicious local wine, you’re not (well, you might). This whistling is part of the native langue called ‘el sibo’ and is used by villagers to communicate with each other over the hills. Some have even claimed it can be heard up to 7km away!

The best things to do in La Gomera:

• Admire the village of Agulo from Mirador de Abrante, a glass walkway with incredible views.
• Go dolphin & whale watching and spot the pilot and sperm whales that live in the waters.
• Hike in the breathtaking laurel forest of Garajonay National Park.
• See the iconic rock formation, Roque de Agando.

Lanzarote

The youngest of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote is one of the most popular islands in the Canary Islands to visit.

One huge difference between Lanzarote and the rest of the Canary Islands is the unmistakable black sand. Large-scale volcanic activity has left the island looking more like another planet than part of Spain. Explore this landscape and learn more about the island’s volcanic past by visiting Timanfaya National Park and see the thermal activity for yourself.

If all this exploring has made you thirsty, head to La Geria and see how the delicious Malvasia is grown in volcanic craters. There are a handful of wineries you can visit and even buy a bottle or two to try.

Extremely aesthetically pleasing, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this white-washed building landscape as a Greek Island. In fact, the white buildings were the idea of local architect Cesar Manrique who worked on a handful of products across the island, as well as fighting the development of high-rise building on Lanzarote. You can learn more about Cesar Manrique and his art by visiting the museum housed in his old studio home.

Featuring stunning palm-lined streets lined with shops and restaurants, the resort of Playa Blanca is the perfect place to stay on Lanzarote. The old capital of Lanzarote, Teguise, is a stunning pedestrianised town with a great Sunday street market. For those looking for a more lively atmosphere, Puerto del Carmen is a great alternative, whilst Puerto Calero is a peaceful escape.

Lanzarote has also become increasingly popular with more active visitors. Runners, hikers and cyclists have joined the growing number who flock to the island to admire the unique landscape.

The best things to do in Lanzarote:

• Explore the volcanic landscape of Timanfaya National Park.
• Battle the strong waves and wind and go surfing at Famara.
• Admire the art and architecture of Cesar Manrique.
• Go wine tasting in La Geria.
• Visit Museo Atlantico and dive down to sculptures 12m under the bay.

La Palma

Known as ‘the beautiful island’, La Palma is the most northwesterly of the Canary Islands and has been declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

An un-commercialised paradise, hikers can enjoy 330 miles of hiking trails including the jungles of Los Tilos and the forests and waterfalls of the national park, Caldera de Taburiente. In fact, it’s at the national park where you will find the most spectacular views of the island, making it more than worth the hike up.

One of the quietest islands in the Canary Islands, La Palma known as being a favourite with couples, especially because of its incredible sunsets and star-filled skies. After reducing light pollution, the island won a Starlight award and boast some of the best stargazing opportunities in this region.

Ideal for low-key holidays, you’ll find plenty of black sand beaches to relax on, many wide Blue Flags and clear water perfect for snorkelling.

San Andres is considered to be the prettiest village on the island, with Tazacorte boasting a banana plantation and fishing harbour. For those looking for a more lively atmosphere, head to Brena Baja or the capital city of Santa Cruz de La Palma where you will find a good selection of shops and restaurants.

The best things to do in La Palma:

• Relax on the beach and go snorkelling at Los Canajos.
• Go hiking in Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
• Reach the summit of Roque de los Muchachos, the island’s highest point.
• Watch the sunset or go stargazing.

Tenerife

The largest of the Canary Islands and the most popular with tourists, Tenerife is the perfect all-rounder.

The main tourist resort can be found in the South of the island. Playa de las Americas has been attracting clubbers to the island for decades, whilst Costa Adeje offering luxury resorts, shops and restaurants.

However, it’s the north of the island the really steals the show. It’s here where you’ll find the stunning Teide National Park and Mount Teide, Spain’s highest peak and the 3rd largest volcano in the world. Stunning and snowcapped, you can hike on the parks many trails or relax and take the cable car up Mount Teide.

Speaking of walking, Tenerife hosted also hosts it’s own walking festival, recognising it’s world-class routes.

It’s not all about mountains and pine forests because, like most of the Canary Islands, Tenerife has 40 miles of beautiful beaches to enjoy.

If you’re looking for an authentic experience, visit Tenerife in February when a lively carnival takes over the capital, Santa Cruz, for 3 weeks. An open-air spectacular, this carnival is second only to Rio de Janeiro so is an event not to be missed.

The best things to do in Tenerife:

• Ride the cable car to the top of Mount Teide.
• Cool down in Siam Park, a Thai-themed adventure water park.
• Explore the Pyramids of Güímar, a mysterious Ethnographic park.
• Take a dip to Lago Martianez, an open-air swimming pool complex centred around an artificial lake.

Visiting The Canary Islands

• Like the rest of Spain, The Canary Islands use the Euro as their currency.
• Spanish is the universal language spoken and you’ll find English is widely spoken in the resorts.
• The islands enjoy a subtropic and desertic climate meaning it’s warm all year round and the perfect place for getting some winter sun in Europe.
• Although many assume that the Canary Islands are named after the little yellow bird, they actually get their name from the Latin term ‘Insula Canaria’ which means the Island of Dogs. The ancient Romans who visited the islands gave them this name, and it is believed to be because the residents worshipped dogs. Others think that the dogs referred to were Monk Seal which translates to “sea dogs” in Latin.
• All islands except Chinijo archipelago have their own airport. You can find direct flights from most major UK airports to all islands except Chinijo Archipelago, La Gomera and El Hierro.
• Most major cruise offer Canary Island cruises with 1 or more of the Canary Islands included in the itinerary, usually Gran Canaria, Lanzarote or Tenerife.

Have you visited The Canary Islands? Which Canary Island do you think is the best Canary Island? Let me know in the comments below!

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Which is the best of the Canary Islands

The islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are simply the perfect essence of Spanish charm. But which of the Canary Islands is the best?

In the Canary Islands, you can look forward to great services, modern hotel resorts, long beaches, diverse landscapes, great cuisine, sunny days and fooling around in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. In short, athletes will not come, for whom there are magnificent golf courses, bike paths of all levels of difficulty, water sports centers, hiking trails and steep rock walls as created for adrenaline lovers.

Tenerife: The green giant

Vacation in Tenerife >>

The largest of the islands is enchanted by the beautiful nature of national parks, UNESCO-listed monuments, the highest mountain in Spain, Pico de Teide, lively resorts where the fun never ends and almost seventy kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches. Yes, Spain’s highest mountain is not in Europe, but on this island.

A visit to the famous zoo and botanical garden of the Loro Parque Zoo can be a pleasant addition to beach fun, where you can conjure a smile on the faces of small and previously born visitors with colorful parrots, dolphin watching, a venerable colony of penguins, and also killer whales. The island of eternal spring wishes golfers. They can hone their game skills on one of the nine modern golf courses.

Read “Best things to do in Tenerife with kids” >>

Gran Canaria: Ideal for a family vacation

The most popular of the islands, Gran Canaria, stands out for its very lively atmosphere. The third largest of the islands is sought after by lovers of busy resorts, families with small children and passionate tourists. The north and west of the island are enchanted by steep cliffs and rugged landscape, the east and south coasts are attracted by large sand dunes and golden beaches with a gradual entry into the sea. In the perfectly photogenic landscape, deep gorges, pine forests, palm trees, cacti, sand dunes, romantic bays and picturesque villages alternate.

Vacation in Gran Canaria >>

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Fuerteventura: A paradise for beach loungers

Fuerteventura boasts the most beautiful beaches in the Atlantic, romantic windmills and delicious fish specialties. Visitors can diversify the beach fun on the warmest of the islands by exploring the colorful underwater life, surfing or one of the many other water sports. A frequent destination for trips is the nearby island of Lobos, which captivates with its beautiful coastline, dramatic scenery inland and a number of wild reptiles, birds and mammals. With a little luck, you can watch flocks of frolicking dolphins or roundheads.

Vacation in Fuerteventura >>

Lanzarote: Rough beauty

The volcanic island of Lanzarote will captivate you with its pleasantly relaxed atmosphere, interesting architecture and excellent level of accommodation services. Luxury resorts alternate with the arid volcanic landscape, steep cliffs, caves and secluded beaches, where enthusiastic surfers await their wave of life. On more than nine dozen beaches, you can choose between white, golden or exotic-looking dark volcanic sand. The local cuisine is also diverse, in which rabbit and fish meat, fresh or stewed vegetables and, above all, great local wine play a prime.

Vacation in Lanzarote >>

La Palma: Stars within reach

Unlike other islands, La Palma is covered with lush greenery. It is not a classic beach destination, visitors come here mainly for natural beauty, excellent cuisine and a peaceful atmosphere. In addition to lush greenery and azure sea distances, La Palma offers one of the most breathtaking views of the night sky.

Vacation in La Palma >>

La Gomera: A natural gem

La Gomera is a real gem of the Kingdom of Spain. The small island is exceptional for the beauty of national parks, foggy forests, mountain villages, where time has stood still, and dark volcanic beaches. From the Mirador de Abrante lookout tower, 625 meters above sea level, you can enjoy breathtaking views of Tenerife with its Pico de Teide peaks, dense tropical forests, and lava chimneys of the Garajonay National Park.

The calm pace of life of the locals is highly contagious and over a glass of fresh sugar cane juice will tell you with a smile the story of the famous Christopher Columbus.

Canary Islands « Scuba Diving Reviews

It is not a small yellow bird but Monk Seals also referred to as “sea dogs”, which gave the name to a Spanish Archipelago known as Islas Canarias. Now seals are rarely found on the Islands being endangered species. However, you can plunge into the world of Angel Sharks, Rays, Whales, incredible lava formations, and into the drowned world of the first underwater sculpture museum in Europe.

Location

Islas Canarias is a Spanish volcanic archipelago located in the North Atlantic Ocean 100km (62mi) from the coast of Morocco. These are autonomous communities with the largest islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro, and La Gomera. Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are the 2 capitals of the Archipelago.

International flights are accepted by the airports on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and La Palma. The remaining big islands have only domestic flights which are usually serviced by CanaryFly and Binter Canarias.

Traveling between the islands can be done via the ferry service. There are 3 main companies providing transportation around the Archipelago. For islands exploration, you can choose either public buses or rent a car.

Diving Review

The most important environmental factors which influence the Canaries are cold oceanic currents, Canary current, warm Gulf Stream, and the nearby Western Sahara. Active tectonics of the region creates dramatic rocky seascapes with swim-throughs, crevices, caves, lava tunnels, and underwater arches. Because of this mixture each Island can offer something spectacular and different in comparison with others.

There are several marine reserves around the Canary Islands. The most famous are La Reserva Marina de Cabrón at Gran Canaria where diving is usually performed from the shore; La Restinga Marine Reserve near El Hierro with emerged new volcano, Turtle sanctuary, Rays, Barracudas, and occasional Whale Sharks; Marine Reserve Island of La Graciosa next to Lanzarote which is the biggest marine reserve in Europe; and Marine Reserve of the southwestern coast of La Palma with Groupers, Eagles Rays, and Black Corals.

Gran Canaria features more than 50 shipwrecks. Most of the dive sites are located on the southern and eastern coasts. Here you can try both boat and shore diving depending on location.

Tenerife offers subtropical species, typical fauna of the Atlantic Ocean, big pelagic, and mammals. Mount Teide is the highest point of Spain and it influences the climate of Tenerife contributing to calmer sea conditions in this area in autumn and winter.

Dive spots of Fuerteventura are concentrated around towns of Corralejo and Jandia. El Hierro offers La Restina as the main diving location which can be found on the southern part of the Island. The diving area of Lanzarote is the southern coast. If you travel to La Palma, then it is better to stay in the southern or eastern areas of the Island. La Gomera is a less touristic destination in comparison with other islands and the best dive spots can be found near San Sebastian on the eastern side, Playa de Santiago on the southern side, and Valle Gran Rey on the western side.

The selection of dive shops is huge, there are more than 100 dive clubs located in different spots of the Archipelago. In the case of emergency, there are 3 hyperbaric chambers on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Fuerteventura. If you are visiting one of the peaks on the islands between the dives, you should pay attention to the surface interval and changes in altitude when planning the next dives.

Water around the Islands can be quite chilly and there are areas with thermoclines. In this connection 5-7mm wetsuit or a dry suit with the gloves and a hood are highly recommended.

There are no liveaboards around the Canary Islands. The best way to explore different islands is to spend some time in different areas and enjoy daily diving tours usually from Zodiacs.

Best Dive Sites Overview

Los Chuchos (Tenerife)

This dive site, which is also referred to as Stingray Village, is located in the area of Los Gigantes which features steep cliffs, underwater caverns, tunnels, and caves. Aside from fascinating landscapes and seascapes this dive spot is famous for a large number of Eagle Rays, Common Stingrays, and Round Stingrays. Due to the regular feedings, these close relatives of sharks gather at the depth of 20m (65ft.) near the small rocks to taste some old fish provided by the divers. Angel Shark, Barracuda, Jacks, and Tuna also reside in this area. If you proceed to sandy spots you can see dozens of Garden Eels as well as Flatfish.

Tunnel & the Cave of the Evil Beast (Tenerife)

If you wish to try diving in a lava tunnel, then this dive site near Puerto de la Cruz is for you. This is a horizontal tunnel in a reef with a spacious entrance and several exits. It is 4m (13ft.) high, 60m (196ft.) long, and 10m (32ft.) wide. Not far from the entrance you can find the hole in the ceiling which is 3m (9ft.) wide and it is possible to surface there. There is also a cave in the nearby reef at the depth of 20m (65ft.) with Anemones. Usually, divers encounter a whole bunch of empty shells in this cave. No one knows for sure who the devourer is. In this connection local dive clubs refer to this spot as the Cave of the Evil Beast. It might be a good idea to take a torch with you for this dive.

Bajada del Realejo (Tenerife)

For shark sightings, local dive shops recommend visiting Bajada del Realejo. Only experienced divers are allowed here as this a deep sea diving with the maximum depth of 40m (131ft.). It is common to see Hammerhead Sharks as well as other big pelagic and Morays around this area.

Arona (Gran Canaria)

There are many wrecks around Gran Canaria to choose from. However, Arona in Port of Las Palmas is one of the 2 biggest wrecks. She used to be a 100m (328ft.) long merchant vessel. While transporting the goods in 1972, there was a fire in the engine room which resulted in explosions. The vessel was supposed to be towed to the port. Nonetheless, Arona sank before she entered the harbor. Now she is a beautiful artificial reef with a wide range of marine fauna which is recommended for advanced divers. The depth ranges between 24-36m (78-118ft.). The second largest wreck is The Kalais. But currently, diving is restricted there due to the port expansion.

El Cabrón (Gran Canaria)

This is a Marine Reserve located on the south-eastern coast of Gran Canaria near Arinaga featuring more than 10 dive sites. All of them are usually accessed from the shore. You need to be careful when entering and exiting from the dive through the rocks especially with the high tide. This area is famous for its rich biodiversity which is distributed between the rock platform going down to 9m (29ft.) and a shelf at 23m (75ft.) with a sandy bottom. Great variety of critters, Angel Sharks, Rays, and various species of fish can be found here.

The Cathedral and the Blue Hole (Lanzarote)

These are the 2 most famous spots near Lanzarote recommended for advanced divers. You can enter the dive site from the beach of Playa Chica with a short surface swim to the edge of the bay. There you will find the Cathedral. It is a breathtaking cave covered with Sponges, soft corals, Tube Worms, and Anemones. You can also spot Groupers, Angel Sharks, Morays, Barracudas, and Garden Eels here.

Blue Hole, called Agujero Azul by the locals, starts at 22m (72ft.) with the deepest point at 28m (91ft.). You can swim through the hole into the blue. It is said that the hole was formed by a bubble while lava was flowing.  There is also the area called “Bubble Garden” where the air is coming out from the sand. The maximum depth of the dive here is 33m (108ft.).

Museo Atlantico (Lanzarote)

When staying at Lanzarote do not miss a chance to admire fantastic underwater sculptures created by the world’s famous Jason deCaires Taylor. He is a diving instructor, an underwater conservationist, and an underwater photographer creating unique underwater museums all over the world. At Lanzarote, you can find 35 realistic sculptures at the depth of 15m (49ft.) with some more sculptures to come. Cold water in the Atlantic Ocean results in slow coral growth, so statues are expected to remain in good shape for a long time.

El Bajon del Rio (Fuerteventura)

There are many spots with basaltic rock formations around the Canary Islands. This dive site near Fuerteventura features one of such seascapes with 10m (32ft.) high volcanic rocks in the forms of mushrooms. Marine life is abundant here. You can expect to meet various species of Bream, Jacks, Barracuda, Angel Shark, Ornate Wrasse, Parrotfish, Triggerfish, Glass-eyes, Scorpionfish, and Stingrays. The maximum depth here is 18m (59ft.).

La Carrera (Fuerteventura)

This is a nice spot for all levels of divers to enjoy caves, crevices, and a trench in rocky formations with sandy spots. The bottom is located at the depth of 16m (52ft.). You can look around for Angel Sharks, Eagle Rays, Groupers, Lobsters, Barracuda, Jacks, and Morays around this area.

El Bajon (El Hierro)

This dive site is located not far from La Restinga harbor. There is a pinnacle starting at 9m (29ft.) and going into the abyss. There is usually strong current in this area which attracts pelagic. It is common to see huge schools of Jacks, Tuna, Parrotfish, and Trumpetfish at this spot. Occasionally, Manta and Turtles visit this area.

Best Dive Season

The calmest ocean conditions and the best visibility are usually seen between September and February in the Canary Islands. However, if you prefer warm water, it is recommended to visit the Islands during July and October.

During October-November, there is usually the largest number of encounters with Hammerhead Sharks while the period between December and April provides opportunities of seeing Angel Sharks.

Dive Conditions

The Canary Islands offer unforgettable diving all the year through. The water temperature varies between the lowest 18ºC (64ºF) in March and the highest 23-24ºC (73-75ºF) between September and October. The Islands are famous for their stable weather conditions. The period between June and August can be windy resulting in the swell.

Visibility stays between 10-40m (32-131ft.) depending on the dive site. Currents are witnesses in deeper areas and remote dive sites.

Marine Life

Stable water temperature hardly going higher than 24ºC (75ºF) does not stimulate the fast growth of corals around the Canaries. Most of the seascapes are formed on the basis of volcanic rocks. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of spots with beautiful soft corals like Anemones, Sponges, Clams, and rare Black Coral.

The Canary Islands have a unique mixture of tropical, Mediterranean, and Atlantic fauna. There are 1000 species of invertebrates and 700 species of fish found around the Islands. The most common are Wrasse, Damselfish, Parrotfish, Glass-eyes, Grouper, Barracuda, Jacks, Pufferfish, Goatfish, Lizardfish, Trumpetfish, and Triggerfish. Countless crevices, caves, and rock formations host various Nudibranchs, Octopuses, Morays, Crabs, Shrimps, Lobsters, and Cuttlefish.

86 species of sharks and rays have been identified in the area around the Islands which makes the Canary Islands the most diversified underwater ecosystem in the European Union. Angel Shark is the most commonly seen species as well as Hammerhead Shark in several spots. The most common rays are Round Stingray, Marbled Electric Ray, Eagle Ray, Common Stingray, and Butterfly Ray. There is a chance to see occasional Manta Ray and Bull Ray. Rarely seen but still present in the waters around the Canaries are Mako Shark, Bull Shark, Guitarfish, Silky Shark, and Nurse Shark.

Loggerhead Turtle is widely spread around the Islands. Dolphins and Whales can be seen all the year round. The most common species are Pilot Whale, Sperm Whale, Beaked Whales, False Killer Whale, Orca, and Short-finned Pilot Whale.

Accommodation

The choice of hotels, resorts, and apartments on the Canary Islands is very big especially on Gran Canaria and Tenerife, which are the main touristic areas. Dive centers are rarely integrated with any of the resorts. So you can book your diving with one of the shops in advance and they will organize a daily pick-up from your accommodation.  It should be noted that all beaches in Spain are public and resorts rarely have private access to the beach.

Radisson Blu Resort Gran Canaria

The Resort is located in the southern part of Gran Canaria. There are various types of Rooms and Suites offered to the guests. Some of them can accommodate up to 8 adults. All Rooms are equipped with a balcony, A/C, a private bathroom, and a sitting area. There are 2 children pools, 1 freshwater, 1 seawater pool, a gym, Spa, Hammam, sauna, and a tennis court on site. There are 2 bars and a rooftop terrace offering beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Grancanariarent Playa de Arinaga

This is an apartment for 6 persons located in the village of Arinaga in the south-eastern part Gran Canaria in front of El Cabrón Marine Park. The apartment features 3 bedrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen, a balcony, and a washing machine. There are bars, restaurants, and a supermarket nearby.

Sandos San Blas Nature Resort & Golf

This luxury Resort offers accommodation in Rooms or Suites on an all-inclusive basis. Each Room has a private balcony and a bathroom with a hydromassage. Guests can use various facilities like 8 pools, 4 bars including a pool bar, 2 buffet restaurants, tennis courts, volleyball courts, a fitness center, and a mini-spa. There are a night club and evening entertainment programs on site. The Resort provides free shuttle buses to and from Playa de las Americas.

Villa Oasis del Duque

If you prefer to stay in a private Villa, then it is recommended to choose Oasis del Duque in the south-western part of Tenerife. This is a spacious modernly designed 4-level Villa.  Up to 8 guests can be accommodated in 4 bedrooms. There is an elevator for the comfort of guests as well as a large salon, fully-equipped kitchen, a gym, and a swimming pool of 84 m² (904ft²).

Aparthotel Esquinzo Y Monte Del Mar

This aparthotel is located in the southern part of Fuerteventura. There are Studios, One-Bedroom Apartments, and Duplex Apartments. Each Room has a private bathroom, a kitchenette, and a balcony. There are 2 pools, a buffet restaurant, and a bar on site.

Villas Oasis Papagayo Sport & Family

These spacious Villas are located on the northern coast of Fuerteventura. Each Villa has a private 6x3m (19x9ft.) swimming pool, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, a washing machine, a private garden, a sun deck, BBQ facilities, and a roof terrace with the views of the Ocean. Guests can also use the facilities of the nearby Hotel belonging to the same group where a big pool, restaurants, and a bar are located.

Salazar

If you prefer a rustic-style accommodation that it might be a good idea to choose Salazar on the eastern coast of La Palma. This private property can accommodate 8 persons. There are 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen, outdoor dining area, and BBQ area in this holiday home.

Other Activities For Non-Divers

Snorkeling

If you are interested in snorkeling, it is best to stay on Gran Canaria. The best snorkeling spot can be found in the southern part of the Island within El Cabrón Marine Park; near Sardina del Norte where it is possible to spot Angel Sharks and rays near the jetty; or at the rocks of Amadores beach where you can spot Octopuses, Damselfish, Anemones, Gobies, and Bream.

Tours and Activities

There are so many land activities on the Canary Islands that you might think of reserving some additional days for that. For those who like animals and birds, it is recommended to visit Loro Park on the northern coast of Tenerife famous for its Orca and Parrots shows. There is also Jungle Park and Monkey Park on Tenerife. Palmitas Park located on Gran Canaria offers fantastic daily open air Birds of Prey shows. The Island of Lanzarote features one of the best Aquariums on the Canary Islands where it is possible to swim with the sharks.

If you are staying on Tenerife, do not miss a chance to visit El Teide, the highest mountain in Spain. When traveling from the coast to the mountain you will notice how the landscape changes from rocks and cactuses to tropical forest followed by Mars-style landscapes. Such movies as “The Fast and the Furious”, “Clash of the Titans”, and many others were filmed in the area around el Teide.

Dolphin and Whales watching tours are very popular in the Canary Islands all the year round. This is usually half-day trips. Different operators offer fishing boats, speedboats, and even catamarans with underwater viewing stations.

Dive centers in Canary Islands

Centro situado en uno de los mejores sitios de Europa, en las Islas Canarias. Con más de 10 años de experiencia esperamos poder mostrarte lo mejor de estas aguas y de nosotros.









Escuela de buceo SubdelmarSomos una escuela de buceo situada en Palma de Mallorca. Empezamos a funcionar con el firme propósito de pasarlo bien y disfrutar. Ponemos a vuestra disposición un sin fin de servicios de gran calidad. Todos nuestros cursos y actividades cumplen con los…








In Blue Bottom Diving our philosophy Safely,Quality and Service.




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Diving in Tenerife with Seascuba and the Seascuba Team!!Seascuba is a Diving centre authorized by the Government.SeaScuba is a PadiProfesionalto make you feel good during your holidays, in Padi courses, adventures for qualified divers and for beginners. It´s fun families and much more..Tenerife…





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We are a small and friendly SSI Dive centre based in the South of Tenerife, the ONLY LEGAL and authorized by the Government of the Canary Islands in Golf del Sur area. We offer all SSI Diving courses from your first experience all the way up to becoming an Instructor.Thanks to the great weather of…





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Our Dive Center in just one minute from the harbour and one minute from the main diving place in Lanzarote.Big and Beautiful Dive Center, 150 m2, brand new equipments, tanks, compressors and van.Try Dives, SSI Try Dives, SSI Courses from Open Water till Instructor, and Guided Dives all around the…





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Dawn Dives Academy is a Padi 5 star IDC training facility. We offer the full range of Padi courses from Scuba diver to Instructor. We specialize in small, personal groups, ensuring maximum attention is given to the student diver in training, skill development and diver safety. Certified divers from…





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Amarilla Divers is a Multi Award Winning,5 Star Dive Resort based in the south of Tenerife. Winning the Best Dive Center for contiued Education for 2012.Amarilla Divers was founded in 2008 and is a family run Dive center with husband & wife team Neil & Mary. Neil is PADI Master Instructor and…





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OCEAN FRIENDS is a Scuba and Free DIVING center located in Los Abrigos in the south of Tenerife. We are a team of expert instructors and dive masters; very experienced in the waters of Tenerife Island and passionates of the sea.Our main goal is to transmit our passion for diving by taking you to…





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Our “PADI 5 Star Dive Centre” has been awarded the prestigious 5 Star Instructor Development Centre rating from PADI, which amongst other criteria, rewards Dive Centres that excel at customer service, promote environmental awareness, exceed standards of other dive centres and committed to Diver…





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Océanos de Fuego is quality diving and accommodation in the best location on the island, Playa Chica, in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. PADI and NAUI instructors with great experience diving worldwide that will make the best experience of your diving holidays on the island.









Delphinus Gran Canaria is located in the middle of the beautiful beach of Taurito in the always warm and dry southwest of Gran Canaria. We can offer only A Class & fun – Quality Scuba Diving and teach beginners all the wide range of the available PADI Courses. Our international staff will lead you…









Manta Diving Lanzarote is a 5* PADI dive resort located in the old town of Puerto Del Carmen, 100 metres away from the best diving in Lanzarote! We have been established in Lanzarote for over 15 years, during this time we have established a reputation for safe, fun and professional diving! Our dive…









Duikcentrum op het kleine strand Playa Chica, beschut in de baai. Divecentre on the little beach Playa Chica.









LiquidPlanet is a company dedicated to teach high quality recreational & technical courses.Also we offer sailing operations as recreational cruises and boat transportation.And LiquidPlanet loves Lanzarote, we will give you all the information necesary to make your experience unforgetable in the…









Welcome you to the island of eternal spring and invite you to discover the fascinating underwater world of one of the best dive locations in Europe.Wellcome to Canary Island Divers Lanzarote. PADI CDC.Dive with us¡. Tec Dives and Courses are available.Wellcome to Lanzarote.









OUR MISSIONDiving is our passion and the underwater world is close to our hearts. For us, this means sharing the dive experience in a respectful and environmentally friendly way to protect nature and the underwater world. We promise highest quality standard, and would like to invite you, to discover…









Located in the heart of Puerto de Carmen we are diving all year long. Put your mask on and join us for some diving. Let’s explore the incredible underwater scenery of Lanzarote. Whether you come for snorkelling, diving courses and excursions or go all in as a technical diver, Lanzarote’s dive sites…





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Whether you simply want to dive for fun, try diving for the first time, qualify as a certified diver or progress to become an Advanced or Technical diver/instructor, Rubicon Diving located in the Marina Rubicon in the heart of Playa Blanca is the ideal choice for your holiday. We can cater for…





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Our job is about delivering adventure and lot of positive emotions which are conected with discovering the underwater world, which for some people is unreachable. Is one unforgetable adventure.Lanzaorte Non Stop DiversWe are a new diving centre authorized by PADI. Our team consists of one IDC Staff…





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Aquarius dive center Tenerife is a PADI 5 star and Scubapro S.E.A. diving center.Our friendly staff has a wide international experience and give you the best out of your dives and instruct future and already certified divers on a professional way.We will provide you with a first class diving service…





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Zero Gravity is a dive center located in Tenerife south, in Puerto Colon.We organize every day guided dives, snorkeling safaris and try dives and of course all Padi programmes. If you wanna know more… Come to see us!!!









PADI 5* Dive Center. At Corralejo’s premier dive center (established 1.979). Open all year, Daily Boat dives, Guided dives, dive courses all levels. The very best knowledge of the waters of the north of the Island. More than 50 dive sites (including Lobos Island).





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diving-in-tenerife is situated in Playa de la Arena, which is in the resort of Los Gigantes Tenerife. We offer full scuba diving in Tenerife including PADI courses, Advanced Diving Courses or just simple Try Dives in Tenerife.If you would like to dive in Tenerife, Riaansscuba is here to help you…





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We are a small, busy dive centre in the heart of Puerto Del Carmen. We offer guided dives at many locations to recreational and technical divers and are rebreather friendly too. We also offer PADI and TDI courses, from learning to dive to professional courses as well as technical, sidemount and…





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Dive Centre in Lanzarote. PADI courses. Diving classes for all levels. Best dives in Lanzarote with the most professional team. Store diving equipment. We are distributors of the brand Probe for the Canary Islands and an Aqualung Partner Center. Lanzarote Ocean’s Divers is PADI 5 * IDC Dive Resort.




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We are a diving center located in the South of the wonderful island of Tenerife. We organize many aquatic activities such as snorkeling tours and diving for beginners and experienced divers. We offer try dives with a personal instructor for people who want to discover the beauty of the ocean for the…




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We are a 5 Star PADI IDC Resort in the heart of Playa de Las Americas. We have just been awarded Trip Advisors Certificate of Excellence Award for 2019. We have glowing reviews on Trip Advisor, Google and Facebook.We offer all aspects of scuba diving including Discover Scuba Diving, Padi Courses,…




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After more than 8 years in the diving world, based in Pura Vida Diving Koh Tao in Thailand, we continue to pursue havens and new sensations, we got up every day living a dream we want toshare with you, with our people.More than 8,000 people have passed through our hands and we have taught them what…




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We are a Dive Resort who makes the difference: 3 floors with great facilities, with audiovisual area, showers for him and her, Hostel thematic that gives hospitality to our divers, large terrace multipurpose (courses, barbecues, etc. .) overlooking the sea, and all with high quality, reflected in…




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NORTHDIVING LANZAROTE is located in the north of Lanzarote in Arrieta, just meters from the shore. It is a PADI Resort Dive Center with a team of passionate divers. We organize amazing experiences and adventures for other passionate divers and ocean lovers. Our team is multilingual and speaks…




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The Dive Club Ocean Trek offer all year round PADI and SSI dive courses in small groups.Every day dive excursions to all dive sites in the south of Tenerife.




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Leagues Ahead Diving in Playa Del Ingles is a premier scuba diving centre and is the ‘go to place’ for all Scuba Diving and Snorkelling excursions in Gran Canaria. Leagues Ahead Diving is a new dive centre in the sunny South of Gran Canaria that combines outstanding customer service, exceptional…




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Zero Gravity is one of the most famous Dive centre in the south of Tenerife. It was founded in 2009 in a fantastic location in the Puerto Colon harbor – main tourist marina in Las Americas. For years, our recognized establishment has worked with the biggest hotels of the south of the island.We…




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Blue Water diving in a newly opened Padi dive centre, based in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria.We offer a wide variety of activities ranging from snorkelling, discover scuba diving, padi courses and even to gro pro.We have a wide variety of diving sites in the south coast which can be accessed from the…








La Palma, the “isla bonita” Madonna was praising, is the most amazing of the seven Canary Islands. The volcanic landscape, the fresh green vegetation and the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean invite you to pass a fantastic holiday full of activities.The best place is indeed under the surface, and we…








Thanks to our amazing beach and the small and wonderful private marina, from where our boat is leaving, the Diving Center has a perfect logistic to satisfy beginners, expert divers and snorkelers. We offer courses from starting to experienced divers with special attention to safety and fun.








The Scuba Sur Diving Center has a perfect logistic to satisfy beginners, expert divers, snorkelers. Scuba Sur is supplied by Mares and Scubapro equipment.All divers students are insured and maximum standards of safety are applied for any activities. Scuba Sur offers daily diving trips, free scuba…








This PADI Gold Palm 5-Star resort is the closest dive centre to the El Cabrón Marine Reserve at Arinaga, and the only BSAC Premier Centre on the island. Being next to one of the best and most spectacular dive sites in the Canary Islands means that they have some fantastic dives and great fun as…








Native Diving Lanzarote provides you with the best service on the island.The best PADI Dive Center 5 Starsin Lanzarote so you learn with the best MARES equipement and installation in front the beach.All Padi Courses are available for you with fluent english,german,spanish,france,portugués speaking…








Native Diving is a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort that is working since December 1999 and where we try to give our customers/friends the best service and attention and the best dives in Lanzarote, a place where you can dive any month of the year. We have two dive centres in the island, one in Costa Teguise…




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Dawn Dives Academy is a Padi 5 star IDC training facility. We offer the full range of Padi courses from Scuba diver to Instructor. We specialize in small, personal groups, ensuring maximum attention is given to the student diver in training, skill development and diver safety.Our friendly…




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Riaansscuba is the premier dive centre in thesouth of Tenerife. Situated opposite Playa de La Arena Beach. we offer fun divingand professional PADI diving courses.The centre is open every day from 0900 hrs to 1800 hrs.








Moana Diving is a new Diving Center located in the South of Tenerife, in Puerto Colon. They organize PADI courses all the levels, daily dive trips, snorkeling excursions, DSD your first diving experience……The dive center with equipment storage, filling stations, shower and dressing room…








The divecentre Ocean Trek is located in the south of Tenerife and offer all year round PADI-Courses from beginners to professionals in small groups. Diving in small groups from the boat or from the shore from 10- to 40 meter depth to the best dive sites in the south of the island








Since 18 years the Ocean Trek Dive Centre at Playa de las Americas in the south of Tenerife offer excellentDiving excursions and PADI Dive Courses








‘Turtley’ terrific and award winning, PADI 5* IDC scuba diving college located in the south of Tenerife. Situated in the heart of the diving capital.All PADI courses, guided dives and snorkeling safaris daily.Open all Year, every day.Free Transfers directly from your accommodation.Discover the…








We are a new dive center, our goal is give the best quality to our clients, and that they leave with a smile after doing a course or diving with us.We are the only dive center at Tenerife that offers 35 dive sites all around the island, depending on kind of certification you have. We can teach or…







12DIVE
Tenerife, Spain


We offer all kind of diving activities and courses from the beginner up to the professional level of the Master Scuba Diver Trainer.Furthermore we offer a VIP service which is unique here in Tenerife and can be personalized by the customers wishes.








OCEAN FRIENDS is a Scuba and Free DIVINGcenter located in Los Abrigos in the south ofTenerife.We are a team of expert instructors and divemasters; very experienced in the waters ofTenerife Island and passionates of the sea.Our main goal is to transmit our passionfor diving by taking you to discover…








Ocean Trek Dive Club offer all year round scuba diving trips and PADI dive courses in small groups




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Speedy’s
Puerto del Carmen, Spain













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Best dive sites in Spain!

Those who have been to Spain will say with confidence that this is a sunny and very interesting country that can offer entertainment for every taste: romantic walks through the streets of Madrid, exciting bullfighting, swimming in the sun on the Costa Brava, descent to snowboarding on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada. But increasingly, Spain is becoming a favorite destination for divers from all over the world.

Resorts in Spain – the dream of any tourist. Luxurious hotels, sandy beaches, mild climate, unusual nature, the opportunity to see whales, dolphins, turtles and fur seals – all these opportunities attract thousands of tourists every year.

Spain is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay. Thanks to this diversity, any diver will find a place to their liking here. Shallow bottom with a lot of marine life – for lovers of beauty, diving in places with great depth and current – for those who want to test their skills.

Before you start looking for a tour to Spain, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the most popular places for diving.

Canary Islands

A little south of Spain is a string of resort Canary Islands. The climate of this place allows you to receive tourists all year round. Well, the conditions for diving here are just perfect.

The Canaries have become a favorite destination for divers in Spain. Crystal clear water with visibility up to 30 meters, grottoes, endless tunnels and caves – all this will make your diving in Spain perfect. Among marine life, you can meet stingrays, fur seals, moray eels, octopuses, lobsters and touch many other unusual fish.

To “dive”, tourists should go to the island of Tenerife or Hierro. A large number of dive sites, experienced instructors, unforgettable experiences are waiting for you here.

For those who have not yet decided to “go down” to the underwater world, the Canary Islands offer many other entertainments: windsurfing, climbing, a trip to the volcano.

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Costa del Sol

Spain’s southernmost resort is the Costa de Sol. If you want to see traditional Spain, then this is the place for you. A great place not only for a beach holiday, but also for “underwater attacks.”

Local dive clubs offer dive programs of varying difficulty. You can learn to dive, take part in a diving tour or rent equipment for self-dive.

Marine lovers can dive into underwater grottoes. Particular attention here should be paid to the study of sunken ships.
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Costa Brava

Another great diving spot in Spain is the Costa Brava. For divers, there are more than 10 dive sites on the coast, a large selection of dive centers and experienced instructors.
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Cape Creus

Diving at Cape Creus is a great experience for divers. This is a protected natural park, the nature of which has preserved its uniqueness and diversity here. The island of Massa d’Or is an important biological reserve, in addition to the unusual nature, you can find here the wreckage of a real steamship.
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Montgrí Coast

Another popular place is the coast of Montgrí, which stretches for 15 kilometers. You will get a unique opportunity to travel through mysterious caves, explore shipwrecks, enjoy the scenery near the cliffs overgrown with corals.
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Medes

Underwater tunnel lovers can safely go to the Medes Islands. It will surprise you with rich relief, playful light near the tunnels, sheer cliffs, overgrown with corals and more.
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There are many more diving spots in Spain, we just listed a few of the most popular ones. The presence of year-round resorts and a huge number of dive sites make this country more and more popular for tourists.

Similar entries:

Diving in Tenerife | Crimea Island

Tenerife Island diving

The best places for diving on the island of Tenerife (in the Canary Islands) are located on the southwestern and southern coasts. This is due not least to the fact that this part of the island is protected from winds and rain clouds by the volcanic Mount Teide (3718 meters above sea level), which causes a predominantly dry climate here with a large number of clear sunny days.

The main resort area of ​​this part of Tenerife – Las Americas. Of course in Las Americas there are diving centers and a large number of them. But here they are focused primarily on the mass flow of those who want to make a one-time introductory dive (introdiving), the service is not very good, but the prices are designed for tourists with a tight wallet first of all (starting from 30 euros).

Diving in Tenerife

In addition, diving directly off the coastline of Las Americas is not so interesting, because the coast is artificially leveled, and the bottom is sand washed up from the depths of the sea, or even imported from the African continent.

There are very few inhabitants of the underwater world here, it is understandable, in this part of the water area there is an intense movement of various vessels, ranging from ferries, yachts, powerful boats to underwater jet skis and tourist submarines, but from the shore, the roar of discos contributes to the noise background . Hence the not-so-flattering reviews of dives in the area. Thank God, diving in Tenerife is not only the coast of Las Americas resort.

Tenerife Island. Map.

It is better to dive all the same north or south of the Las Americas resort area. Accordingly, contact diving centers located in the same place, here the prices are lower (from 20 euros) and they win in the level of service.

Diving in Tenerife

Many argue that is the best place for diving in Tenerife , in its southern part is located in the vicinity of the town Las Galletas . Well, if the main purpose of your visit to Tenerife is diving, then there is a good reason to choose accommodation located near Las Galletas in the resort area of ​​the Costa de Silencio (Coast of Silence).

Diving in Tenerife

The most popular dive site in the Las Galletas area is Chukos (Slopes). Diving in this place is a real show.

Gran Telescopio CANARIAS

Gran Telescopio CANARIAS

observing preparation tool

(List of available data reduction tools)

Science News

The first extensive catalogue of massive stars with low metallicity

An ancient brown dwarf in our cosmic neighbourhood

Possible evidence of planet formation found in the Orion Nebula

Astronomers discover a “black widow” binary star system with the shortest orbital period known
Astronomers observe potential magnetic flip around a supermassive black hole

Powerful warm winds discovered during a neutron star eruption
Astronomers find in the Milky Way an unusual blue supergiant star travelling at high velocity
IAC scientists complete an unprecedented study of the masses of over 500 clusters of galaxies
The mystery of the brightest planetary nebulae
Astronomers discover first supernova explosion of a Wolf-Rayet star
A primitive stellar structure helps us to unravel the earliest phases of the Milky Way
Distinct pulses captured in the giant magnetic flare from a neutron star
Astronomers discover ancient brown dwarf with lithium deposits intact
Detection of TiO and Na in the atmosphere of the hot Jupiter HAT-P-65b
High-speed propeller star is fastest spinning white dwarf
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope and GRANTECAN help to show how the first galaxies were formed

Telescope News

M3 aluminizing

The Rector of the University of La Laguna (ULL) visits the Gran Telescopio de Canarias to give an impulse to the Sustainability Plan for the telescope
EMIR CSU degradation
The educational programme “Our students and the Roque de los Muchachos” is starting up again
OSIRIS First Light at Cassegrain Focus
First steps for OSIRIS at Cassegrain Focus
The Visitor Centre at the Roque de los Muchachos and the Starmus Festival: two gateways to the Universe and to the recovery of La Palma
New Maintenance Platform (HMP) arrives at GTC
OSIRIS migration to Cassegrain Focus
MIRADAS Laboratory First Light
MAAT: new “eyes” for the OSIRIS instrument of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC)
Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India, Spain for scientific and technical collaborations in astronomy
New focal station received at GTC
The number of visitors to GRANTECAN is greater than 10,000 per year and a new surround exhibit is opened
GTC Phase-3: a new tool for user proposal management
GRANTECAN opens its doors to its observing nights
Call for the next generation of instruments for the Gran Telescopio Canarias
Agreement between the GTC and the National Astronomical Observatories of China

The

Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC),
is a 10.4m telescope with a segmented primary mirror. It is located in one
of the top astronomical sites in the Northern Hemisphere:
the
Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM, La Palma, Canary Islands).
The GTC is a Spanish initiative led by the
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). The project is actively
supported by the Spanish Government and the Local Government from the
Canary Islands through the European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER)
provided by the European Union. The project also includes the participation
of Mexico (Instituto de Astronomía
de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IA-UNAM) and
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica
y Electrónica (INAOE), and the US University of Florida.

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Gran Telescopio CANARIAS

Introducing the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS

GRANTECAN

GRANTECAN S.A. is a public company that was founded in 1994 for the design and
construction of the 10.4m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS, or GTC, located at the
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma.
In 2009, with the start of the scientific operational phase of the telescope,
the company evolved its responsibility to include the operation of the telescope
as a service to the wider scientific community.

Currently, GRANTECAN S.A. employs approximately 70 full-time staff.
The company comprises 4 groups: administration, engineering operation, science operation,
and development division. Its Director is Dr Romano Corradi. A full organization chart of GRANTECAN S.A. can be retrieved here.

The GTC project is actively supported by the

Spanish Government
and the

Regional Government of the Canary Islands
through the

European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER)
provided by the European Union. The project also includes the participation of the

Mexican Instituto de Astronomía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IA-UNAM)
and the

Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica,
and from the United States through participation of the
University of Florida.

Apart from the telescope site at the observatory, the company’s main location
is in the Center for Astrophysics in La Palma
(CALP),
in Breña Baja, La Palma.
The Developments Division is located on the premises of the Instituto de
Astrofísica de Canarias in La Laguna, Tenerife.

Contact details

POSTAL ADDRESS – LA PALMA		FISCAL AND BILLING ADDRESS
Gran Telescopio de Canarias, S.A. Center for Astrophysics in La Palma Cuesta de San José, s/n 38712 – Breña Baja S/C de Tenerife Spain		Gran Telescopio de Canarias, S.A. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias C/ Vía Láctea, S/N 38205 – San Cristóbal de La Laguna S/C de Tenerife Spain
Telephone: +34 922 425 720		Telephone: +34 922 315 031
Fax: +34 922 425 725		Fax: +34 922 315 032
e-mail: gtc [at] gtc.iac.es		e-mail: gtc [at] gtc.iac.es
Directions on how to get to CALP can be found here.		VAT No. ESA38354460

Key contact points

contact	telephone	email @ gtc.iac.es
Romano Corradi – Director	922 425 720 ext: 727 922 315 031 ext: 599	romano.corradi
Lourdes González Rodríguez – Head of Administration	922 425 720 ext: 721 922 315 031 ext: 525	lourdes.gonzalez
Antonio Cabrera Lavers – Head of Science Operations	922 425 720 ext: 747	antonio. cabrera
Javier Castro – Head of Developments Division	922 315 031 ext: 597	javier.castro.lopez
Luis Rodríguez García – Head of Engineering Operations	922 425 720 ext: 734	luis.rodriguez
GTC Control Room	922 425 720 ext: 259 / 269 / 258

Public visits to the telescope

Casual visits to the GTC at night are not possible. However, in daytime group
visits by schools, amateur astronomical societies and similar parties with a
particular interest in the GTC can be organized.

The Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory runs a regular visits program to some of
the telescopes through the “Instituto de Astrófísica de Canarias (IAC)” website.
For booking online and more information please visit

Visits to the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos.

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Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC)

The Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (also known as GTC), is an ambitious Spanish
project with the aim of constructing and operating one of the largest and most advanced telescopes
in the world. With the leadership of the Instituto de
Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), its First Light Ceremony was celebrated
in the early morning of 14th July, 2007. Scientific production of the
telescope started in March of 2009, once the telescope optics and its control system
was sufficiently well developed, and the first science instrument, OSIRIS, had been
installed.

The start of the scientific operational phase of the telescope was the culmination of
design and development work over more than a decade. The site construction work began during
2000 at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos, La Palma. This observatory, together
with the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife, form the
European Northern Observatory (ENO). The observatory provides excellent observing conditions
due to the high quality of the night sky and the existence of a law to protect against light
pollution.

In 1994, the public limited company GRANTECAN, S.A. was founded with the aim to
design and construct the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS, or GTC.
This company was supported
by both the Local Government from the Canary Islands and the Spanish Government.
GTC also has an international recognition through the agreements
signed with the Mexican Government to participate in the project through the
Instituto de Astronomía de la
Instituto de Astronomía de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
y del Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica,
Óptica y Electrónica de Puebla.
In addition, participation from the United States is through collaboration with
the University of Florida.

The ultimate aim of the GTC is to facilitate world-class science observations.
Being the largest telescope in the world and thanks to its location at the
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, the telescope will allow the study of key questions
in astrophysics such as the nature of black holes, the formation history of stars and
galaxies in the early universe, the physics of distant planets around other stars,
and the nature of dark matter and dark energy in the universe.

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What is the GTC?

The Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), is currently the largest and one of the
most advanced optical and infra-red telescopes in the world.
Its primary mirror consists of 36 individual hexagonal segments that together act
as a single mirror. The light collecting mirror surface area of GTC is equivalent to
that of a telescope with a 10.4m diameter single monolithic mirror.
Thanks to its huge collecting area and advanced engineering the GTC classes
amongst the best performing telescopes for astronomical research.

The GTC has also a secondary mirror and a tertiary mirror that together with the
primary mirror produce the telescope focal plane in the focal station of choice.
The scientific instruments that are placed in the focal station then analyse and
detect the light, and store the final data.

The telescope mount, a large mechanical, steel structure that holds the mirrors, allows
rotational movements of the telescope along a horizontal and vertical axis. This movement
has to be extremely precise in order to keep the stars projected stably onto the detector.
The telescope is designed so that it is able to observe the optical and infrared light ranges.

GTC will be the last of the generation of so called 8 to 10 meter-class telescopes.
Therefore it has tried to improved the design of the predecessors, learning
from their experiences.

GTC is the largest telescope thanks to its huge light collecting surface of 75.7 square
meters (73 m² effective area). Apart from its large collecting
surface another key feature is the exquisite image quality that the telescope delivers
and therefore it can exploit the good sky quality to its maximum.
The good image quality is made possible thanks to the active adjustment of the optics.
This active optics allows the alignment, deformation and movement the individual segments
that form the primary mirror, as well as the alignment of the secondary mirror so as
to always keep their optimal position independently of the external conditions
(climate, temperature, gravity, manufacture faults, ect. ..).

In the future GTC will also make use of a technique called “adaptive optics” that will allow
the telescope to correct for atmospheric turbulence and hence reach the best possible
imaging performance possible, opening up new frontiers for science. For all large telescopes
the earth’s atmosphere disturbes the light and degrades the image quality drastically,
but thanks to adaptive optics this negative effect can be counteracted by
applying very fast corrections in real time (some 1000 times per second) making use of
a deformable mirror. This is a very demanding technique, but the improvements in
image quality and thus for science, are important.

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Observing with GTC

The telescope itself is enclosed by a dome that protects it from the elements.
At the same time the dome is designed to minimize the turbulence of the air close
to the telescope. When an observing night commences than first the dome is opened,
allowing the light from the stars to strike the telescope.

Control of the telescope and the instruments is done remotely from the control
room and highly automated. The available observing time is a valuable commodity.
To optimize its use, the observations are scheduled in a way that optimizes the
use of the telescope according to the prevailing sky conditions.
This so-call queue-schedule observing implies that many programs are simultaneously
active and executed according to their scientific priority and taking into account
their requirements in terms of observing conditions.

The GTC also makes use of an advanced control system and has a high
reliability of operation through a preventive maintenance program designed to locate
potential malfunctions before they occur, ensuring that downtime caused by these
failures in the system are kept to a minimum.

Part of the preventive maintenance is to ensure that the mirrors remain clean so that
they optimally reflect the light. This in practice is not as simple as its sound!
The telescope mirrors are regularly cleaned by spraying CO2 snow over its surface.
But about every two years each mirror segment comes out of the telescope to
put a new reflective aluminium coating on its surface.

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GTC in numbers

• Total telescope moving weight = 400 tonnes
• Primary mirror weight = 17 tonnes
• Effective collecting area = 73 m²
• Effective focal length = 169.9 m
• Plate scale = 0.82 mm/arcsec
• Cassegrain focus
  • Instrument weight hanging from rotator = 2400 kg
  • Field-of-view = 15 arcmin in diameter
• Folded Cassegrain focus
  • Instrument weight hanging from rotator = 1000 kg each
  • Field-of-view = 5 arcmin in diameter
• Nasmyth focus
  • Instrument weight hanging from rotator = 2400 kg each
  • Instrument weight with a second bearing support = 7500 kg each
  • Field-of-view = 20 arcmin in diameter

Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Picture courtesy Gianni Tessicini).

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Location

The GTC is located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of la Palma.
GTC coordinates are: Latitude: 28º 45’ 24’’ N and Longitude: 17º 53’ 31’’ W, at an elevation
of about 2300 meters above sea level.

The Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) is one of the prime observatory sites in the
world, and without doubt the best site in Europe for ground-based optical and
infra-red astronomical observations. It is for that reason GTC was built on this location.
The ORM is managed by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
(IAC).
More facts about the ORM can be found
here.

The ORM is characterized by its overall stable and good climatic conditions that make
it favorable for astronomical observations. Being located usually above the inversion
layer where clouds tend to form, implies that often the observatory enjoys cloudless skies.
But equally important are the low atmospheric turbulence which allows taking advantage
of the very good image quality of the telescope with minimum disturbance by the atmosphere.

Large telescopes like the GTC are built in order to study the faintest objects in the sky.
Obviously ambient light from cars and street lights hamper the telescopes in their work.
Therefore, in order to protect the night skies from light pollution, a sky protection
law was established several years ago that has helped ensuring that the ORM will
remain a top-quality astronomical observatory for the years to come.

Over the years several telescopes have been constructed at the ORM, and many countries
have helped to shape the observatory and its astronomical excellence.

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Let’s compare

When details on sizes and measures of something are given it is often
difficult to understand the dimensions until we convert measures to the human scale.
For instance: a forest as large as ten football fields;
a distance so large that it would take us a year in a car to get there;
a little insect so small that it could rest on the head of a needle.
By comparison we can better appreciate the magnitude of things.
This is what we now will try to do for the case of GTC.

A telescope as the Gran
Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), given the requirements for proper operation and due to
the number of components that form it, can be compared to a lot of things.
To get an idea of the vast GTC observation capabilities, we can compare its power of vision
to 4 million human eyes and, with it, we could distinguish
car headlights some 20,000 km away, or at the distance that separates Spain from Australia.
The building of the telescope has a height of 41 m, 6 meters less than the Statue of
Liberty in New York.
The base of the building that holds the dome must withstand a total weight of 500 tons,
comparable to a herd of 62 elephants.

The GTC has a primary mirror of about 10. 4 m in diameter, composed of 36 segments of
about 450 kg each. In other words, only one of these mirror segments weights the same as a bull.
However, despite their weight, the thickness of each segment does not exceed 8 cm.
Primary mirrors with smaller overall diameter, such as the one at the Very Large
Telescope (VLT), of 8.2 m, located at Cerro Paranal (Chile), can be up to 17.5 cm thick,
and hence the GTC mirror is very thin for its size.

One of the most striking peculiarities of the mirrors of the GTC is the dedication
with which they have been designed and produced. The limit of the polishing error
for the vitro-ceramic material may not exceed 15 nanometers, or 3,000 times smaller
than a human hair (a nanometer is a thousandth of a micron, or 0.000001 mm), while
any irregularity cannot exceed 90 nm.
The polishing of the mirrors achieves this nearly perfect surface.
In comparison, if the mirror would be as big a Iberian Peninsula, the highest
“mountain” irregularity would be only a few centimeters tall!

The main material of the mirror of the telescope is the Zerodur, equipment similar
to that used for the manufacture of the vitro-ceramics.
A crucial characteristic of Zerodur is its low coefficient of expansion, which
implies that temperature variations in the telescope have no effect on the optics.

Despite the size and weight of the large segmented mirror, all the components must be at a
distance from each other of just 3 mm and kept in place with very high tolerance.
This is accomplished through a system of sensors and positioners that continuously
keep the mirrors in perfect position.

The construction of the GTC has involved numerous pieces and constitutes an important
engineering achievement. For instance, the metal structure of the dome has been made of about
59,000 pieces: about 16,000 screws (4,000 kg), some 43,000 nuts (1,500 kg) and about
450 kg of washers.

As a final detail, it is noted that the more than 400 tons of
telescope and instrumentation is supported on only a very thin layer of lubricant.
The telescope “floats” on hydraulic oil, providing a very smooth movement that
requires little force. The telescope may be moved by a slight push of the hand!

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Last modified: 25 October 2022

6 most modern observatories in the world: photo, video

Modern technologies allow scientists to study even the most remote corners of space directly from the Earth. We made a selection of modern observatories from where astronauts look at exoplanets, black holes and extinct stars

⏰ Reading time: 5-7 minutes

Since 1990, scientists have been able to confirm the existence of more than 4,000 planets outside our solar system. To study outer space, researchers are building powerful observatories with entrepreneurs, scientific universities and philanthropists around the world. In this material, we have collected modern observatories, told where the largest telescope is located and why Chinese researchers relocated an entire village.

Keck Observatory

Photo: W. M. Keck Observatory

The Keck Observatory is part of the W. M. Keck Foundation, founded in 1954 by entrepreneur and philanthropist William Keck, who supported scientific, engineering and medical research. The observatory is located on the top of Mauna Kea (Hawaii Island) at an altitude of 4,145 m above sea level. It is equipped with two eight-story-tall telescopes that detect targets with nanometer precision. Telescopes can track objects for hours. Each of them weighs 300 tons, and the mirrors consist of 36 hexagonal segments.

Until 2007 and the advent of the Great Canary Telescope in Spain, the Keck telescopes were considered the largest in the world. They find planets by working on the principle of the Doppler effect – measuring changes in starlight. Thanks to these telescopes, scientists at the observatory have discovered the largest number of exoplanets, including the youngest LkCa 15 b.

Keck Observatory astronomers are the first in history to image a planetary system in orbit around a star that is not the Sun. In 2017, NASA entered into a five-year agreement (valid from 2018 to 2023) with the owners of the observatory to jointly explore space. Prior to this, Keck scientists helped NASA accomplish the Kepler/K2 mission by providing high-resolution photographs to verify and describe the existence of hundreds of exoplanet orbits. And with the help of the telescopes of the observatory, it was possible to detect the first signs of water vapor on one of the 79satellites of Jupiter. NASA scientists confirmed this in 2019.

Water vapor on Jupiter’s moon Europa

South African Astronomical Observatory

Photo: South African Astronomical Observatory

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is located in Cape Town. This is one of the most modern territories for the study of outer space. The observatory is controlled by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Almost all telescopes are located away from the main research center – in Sutherland.

There are four large modern telescopes on the territory of the observatory, including SALT and Lesedi.

Lesedi telescope.

(Photo: South African Astronomical Observatory)

In October 2017, SAAO was part of 70 scientific observatories investigating the explosion of two colliding neutron stars just after the impact of a gravitational wave was detected by the US LIGO observatory and the European Virgo antenna.

Laser observatory LIGO

Photo: LIGO

The largest laser and wave observatory, LIGO, became famous only in 2016 after researchers working in it managed to record a powerful gravitational burst caused by the collision of two black holes, proving the presence of gravitational waves. LIGO includes the Hanford and Livingston observatories. The project is funded by the US National Science Foundation.

The observatory has gathered researchers from all over the world: they observe cosmic gravitational waves, which are still 1916 were predicted by Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Paranal Observatory

Photo: European Southern Observatory

The Paranal Observatory was opened in 1999 in Chile. It is part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) complex, one of the oldest organizations for astronomical research.

Here you can look at the observatory by years:

The observatory is located in the Atacama desert at an altitude of 2,635 m above sea level, which is equivalent to the height of eight Eiffel towers. It is equipped with several telescopes, including one of the most powerful optical instruments for observing space, the Very Large Telescope. It consists of four telescopes with mirrors with a diameter of 8.2 m and four movable auxiliary telescopes with a diameter of 1.8 m. Together they create an interferometer that separates beams of electromagnetic light radiation. With a telescope, in one hour of observation, images of celestial objects of 30 magnitudes can be obtained, which corresponds to the visibility of objects 4 billion times dimmer than the human eye can see.

Telescope video

This telescope has already made a huge contribution to the study of outer space. With it, it was possible to obtain the first images of exoplanets, track the movement of stars around a black hole, and in 2005 see the afterglow of the most distant known gamma-ray burst.

The observatory also has a residence for astronomers working at the station. Inside there is a huge garden with a swimming pool, a gym and a restaurant. There even took place the shooting of one of the films about James Bond – “Quantum of Solace”.

On the European Southern Observatory website, you can take a virtual tour of the area with huge telescopes.

Sky Eye in China

Photo: Ou Dongqu/Xinhua/ZUMA

The FAST spherical telescope is one of the latest space exploration instruments. This is a joint project of the National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC) and Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Initiatives. The concept of a radio telescope began to be developed as early as 1994, and it was only possible to build and launch it in 2016.

The search for a suitable site for construction took ten years, as the site required a site similar to a natural crater. The Chinese government has relocated 65 residents of a village in Dawodang Depression in Guizhou Province and another 9,110 people within a five-kilometer radius of the telescope’s location to clear the space and create a radio silence zone.

The telescope is half a kilometer in diameter (about 30 football fields) and 140 m deep. It consists of 4,450 small moving triangular panels that allow observations to be made from different angles. During operation, the telescope “catches” radio waves emitted by objects in outer space. Because of its size, FAST can collect signals from the far reaches of space. The researchers say that during a test run, the telescope detected radio waves from three rapidly rotating stars.

The developers are confident that the telescope can help search for gravitational waves and study the fleeting sound bursts of dead stars. Already in August 2021, FAST will become a research platform for astronomers from all over the world.

Roque de los Muchachos observatory

Photo: Stars Island La Palma

The Roque de los Muchachos observatory is located in the Canary Islands at an altitude of 2,396 meters above sea level. It is run by the Canarian Institute of Astrophysics, located nearby on the island of Tenerife. The Teide Observatory is also located there, part of the research from which was transferred to Roque de los Muchachos.

The observatory houses one of the largest collections of telescopes from around the world. There is also the largest telescope on the planet – the Grand Canary Telescope. Its mirrors reach 10.4 m and can catch even the faint light of distant space objects.

Internet telescope is now available to everyone – CNews

Nauka
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18 March 2005 21:03 18 Mar 2005 21:03

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According to SpaceDaily, Discovery. com has entered into an agreement with the Slooh service, which provides astronomy enthusiasts from around the world with online access to professional astronomical instruments installed at an observatory in the Canary Islands. The window to space for everyone has opened even wider.

“Discovery.com is excited to bring a new product to our audience,” said Mark Irwin, VP of Operations for Discovery.com. “Slooh technology makes astronomy both accessible and fun for everyone.”

“Our partnership with Discovery.com is a milestone in our mission to advance the popularization of astronomy,” said Michael Paolucci, president and founder of Slooh. “It’s a testament to Slooh’s success in bringing astronomy to the widest possible audience.” At the moment, many thousands of fans from different parts of the world have already become subscribers of the service. The service itself is a leader in the rapidly developing digital Internet content market.

Slooh currently provides access to two instruments: a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a focal length of 3910 mm, and an 85 mm apochromat refractor with a focal length of 480 mm. Telescopes are optimized for observing such astronomical objects that are inaccessible to amateurs with their modest instruments – galaxies, nebulae, star clusters. They are equipped with astronomical CCD receivers with a resolution of up to 3 megapixels. In addition, the Internet Observatory has a fisheye camera with a field of view of 175 degrees.

The instruments are installed in an observatory in the Canary Islands on Mount Teide at an altitude of 2400 meters above sea level. There is a magnificent astroclimate, up to 80% of all nights there is a clear sky. Cold ocean currents washing the islands, combined with trade winds, provide a uniquely stable climate with low atmospheric turbulence. Low clouds usually do not interfere with observations at high-altitude observatories. Moreover, it helps to block the light of settlements.

In the near future, it is planned to introduce another 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain (focal length 2100 mm), as well as a refractor with a diameter of 34 mm with a focal length of 135 mm. By the end of 2005, another observatory will be created, which will allow amateurs to observe the starry sky at almost any time of the day.

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Judging by the information provided on the Slooh website, there were no Russian astronomy enthusiasts among the service’s subscribers as of the end of September 2004. There are objective reasons for this. The location of the telescope in the Canary Islands is most convenient for users located in America – they have the opportunity to use the telescope during the daytime and evening hours, when it is already night in the Canaries.