Stargazing in Torrevieja – Where to Find the DARKEST Skies
4th July 2022
You don’t have to be an astronomer to appreciate the beauty of the night sky.
In fact, not knowing is often the best way to enjoy something at face value, and stargazing is no different. Some of us at Los Locos Beach are lucky enough to have witnessed incredibly clear night skies, and the seemingly infinite number of stars in them – which has inspired us to learn more and seek out places to gaze at the heavens.
And lucky for us, Torrevieja is a great base from which to explore the celestial sky at night, for a few reasons.
For a start, the town is quite small, and so light pollution is limited to the most densely populated areas and fully lit roads. Getting away from light pollution is fairly easy: it’s a simple drive to the hills or to Parque Natural de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja. We’re also located north of the equator, which means longer nights that come in with the changing seasons.
But, like anywhere else in the world, stargazing in Torrevieja is weather-dependent.
Thankfully, this area of Spain is famed for having almost year-round sunshine, and that translates to clear night skies at the right time of year.
So when’s best to see the stars, and where can you go to find the clearest, darkest skies in Torrevieja?
The best times to visit Torrevieja for stargazing
Hot and humid summer evenings introduce fuzzy atmospheric disturbance, making stars much harder to see – so if you want to see the night sky in Torrevieja at its best, visit during the winter.
Find out more: When is the Best Time to Visit Torrevieja?
The night sky is clearest on crisp, clear winter nights, when we’re under a new moon. A full or waxing gibbous moon introduces more light into the sky, which can make it harder to see faint objects, and reduce the appearance of stars – but it can also add to the dramatic views. Plus, the moon is simply amazing to view through binoculars or a small telescope on a clear night.
What you can see in the night sky also depends on the time of year (and time of night) you visit Torrevieja. Winter nights are longer, and so opportunities for object-spotting are greater. The tilt of the Earth (which gives us the seasons) does mean that, in winter, objects nearer the southern skies are less visible.
Also, all the objects in our solar system are constantly moving around the sun – and while they do so with clockwork precision, it means that the sky is never the same two nights in a row.
To find out what you can see and when, you can try a website like The Sky Live, or apps like Star Walk, which provide stargazers and hobbyists with loads of useful night sky information.
Where to find the darkest skies in Torrevieja
Popular areas, such as Parque Natural de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja, have been used in the past for stargazing and astronomy meetups – but to get the best views, you’ll need to gain altitude.
The Murcia area, which includes Torrevieja, is flanked by mountainous and hilly regions which are perfect for seeing the night sky – far from light pollution, and above low-level atmospheric disturbance.
If you’ve hired a car, taking a drive through the hills to observation decks (like at Pico Del Relojero) can offer unobstructed, panoramic views – and there’s flat ground for setting up a scope, if you have one.
There’s also a friendly, English-speaking astronomy community in Torrevieja, who offer guidance to those looking for information on stargazing and astronomy – and there’s no fee to join the group if it’s something you’re interested in!
Whatever you get up to at night on your visit, come back to rest at one of our comfortable, beachside apartments in Torrevieja – at Los Locos Beach.
Stay at our apartments at Los Locos Beach
Book a stay at one of our holiday apartments in Torrevieja – at LosLocosBeach.com. You’ll get everything you need for a relaxing beachside stay in one of Costa Blanca’s most prized locations.
