The Canary Islands & Morocco Astronomy

Overnight flight from the USA to Madrid, Spain, and connect with a flight to La Palma in the Canary Islands.

Arrival in La Palma, transfer to Hotel. Orientation & Welcome Dinner. Hacienda de Abajo. (3 Nights)

We will visit a unique winery Bodegón Tamanca, excavated in the interior of a volcanic cone. Enjoy an unforgettable wine tasting. From the Port of Tazacorte, sail on the crystalline waters of the Atlantic Ocean to look for the cetaceans, dolphins, whales (including blue whales,) that inhabit the waters of the archipelago. Watch the sunset followed by magnificent stargazing.

Visit Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory located on the rim of the Taburiente National Park, at 7861 feet above sea level. Enjoy a private visit of the site which hosts the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), the largest optical-infrared telescope in the world, along with twenty other telescopes and instruments for various kinds of studies, including nocturnal observations, robotic observing, solar physics, and high energy astrophysics. Because of the sky above La Palma, this observatory enjoys exceptional conditions for astronomical research. For this reason, it continues to attract giant telescopes of the future, as well as the new generation of Cherenkov telescopes, designed to study the Universe in very high energy gamma rays. Later tonight on an astronomic workshop see stars, constellations, nebulae, and planets in one of the most impressive skies of the world.

Early morning breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for flight to Marrakesh arriving early afternoon. Free time before welcome dinner tonight. (2 Nights)

Travel to the Oukaimeden Observatory in the Atlas Mountains for a private visit. The observatory is the site where the Morocco Oukaimeden Sky Survey is conducted to observe small Solar System bodies. In the afternoon, enjoy a city tour of Marrakesh. Visit the medina of Marrakesh, a UNESCO world heritage site. See the Moroccan Architecture, Islamic horseshoe arches inscribed with beautiful geometric patterns, Argan Oils, Marrakesh Souks, Moroccan mint tea, and much more.

After a cultural visit to Marrakesh, travel through the great Atlas Mountains to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. One of the most sumptuous sights in the Atlas Mountains, its defensive walls have come to fame in many films including Lawrence of Arabia. (1 Night)

Depart Agdz on 4x4 vehicles through the Ancient Road of Caravans. Arrive in Erg Chigaga and enjoy camel riding. Prepare for sunset overlooking the dunes. Tonight, experience fantastic stargazing in the black skies of the Sahara Desert. See constellations, nebulae, and planets. (2 Nights)

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise, when the color of the dunes and the play of shadows are an awesome sight. See constellations at the camp, equipped with amateur telescopes. We will have presentations on celestial navigation used by the Tuareg nomads and other tribes of the Sahara. There will be also a presentation on meteorite hunting in the Sahara Desert.

After breakfast, we travel by 4WD cars across the Sahara over the desert, and across the now dried-up Iriqui Lake. In the middle of this lake, we can search for fossils. Drive north to Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets, where we stop for lunch. After crossing the Tizi-n-ikhsane and Tizi-n-tighatine passes, we reach Taliouine, the heart of the saffron growing region. The road takes us on to Taroudant where we stop for the night in a riad (a private mansion converted into a hotel). (1 Night)

In the morning, we visit Taroudant, the town known as “the grandmother of Marrakesh,” a spectacular site known for its massive fortified walls and historical center. In the afternoon drive back to Marrakesh and enjoy our farewell dinner. (1 Night)

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for flights to the USA or proceed to an extension to the north of Morocco at Chefchaouen and Casablanca.

(The Blue City) and Casablanca, Morocco. (3 Nights)