Teide at Sunset: the Shadow That Reaches Gran Canaria

The shadow is the thing. When the sun goes down behind Teide, the mountain throws a cone of shade eastwards that stretches as far as Gran Canaria, and the walk towards the Pico Viejo viewpoint is timed to put you where you can watch it happen. The cable car goes up at sunset, and what follows is a night tour of the volcano. Teide sits on a small island in the Atlantic, far enough from the lights of the Tenerife towns that the sky above it is among the darkest in Europe. Long-range telescopes are set up for the stargazing, so the night is not only a matter of looking up and hoping. A picnic can be added when you book, which is worth doing: stargazing on an empty stomach gets old quickly.