El Boys roque It is located in the north of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, in the municipality of garafía. With their 2.426 meters altitude, is the highest point on the island of La Palma, Above the clouds.
This unique place due to its atmospheric conditions was chosen to host the Canary Islands Astrophysical Institute, one of the largest in the world. There, investigations are carried out that allow us to know the universe, with a battery of 15 telescopes among which is the Gran TeCan (GTC, Gran Telescopio Canarias) a reflector telescope with a primary mirror measuring 10,4 meters in diameter, one of the largest in the world.
The Observatory grounds are closed at night, in summer at 21:18 p.m. and in winter at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. It is important that you keep this in mind and that before going up, you go through the National Park information booth, in the Roque. Many people want to spend the night in the car, to admire the night sky, keep in mind that you must bring many blankets to keep you warm since the cold is present in winter and summer nights.
If you are interested in visiting the observatory facilities, you must arrange the visit in advance at: http://www.iac.es/info.php?op1=24&op2=124. There is a plan Open Doors Conference during the summer season.
The island of La Palma, very committed to the research carried out by the observatory, one day a year turns off its lights to allow special studies to be carried out. It also has a sky protection law that regulates public lighting to avoid light pollution. On clear days, which are the majority, you can see the neighboring islands and the Teide, in Tenerife.
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You can access from Santa Cruz de La Palma, going through some 40 kilometers along a somewhat difficult mountain road, the route lasts approximately 2 hours. This road in winter becomes somewhat dangerous because it is usually snowy, so it is essential to find out about the weather forecast before traveling.
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