Traveler's Edition
When you live in the city seeing a starry night sky is actually pretty rare, with the artificially light from the city obscuring the natural darkness one of the most beautiful gifts from the earth is lost and unable to be appreciated.
However there are still destinations, especially in Southern American, that retain the natural lightscape and provide the most fantastic stargazing experience. The Travel Edition fill you in on the best locations to see a starry night sky.
The Atacama Desert
In the driest desert in the world you will see the brightest stars. Thanks to very little rainfall, clear skies, high altitudes and low-to-zero pollution the Atacama Desert is an unparalleled stargazing gem.
Of course, Atacama is a major hub for astronomical research and boasts plenty of cutting-edge research observatories many of which are off-limits to visitors. Despite this, some offer guided tours and many of the hotel’s incorporate stargazing into their program. This destination is perfect for any stargazing enthusiast, so book your cheap flights to Chile for yourself and a stargazing friend.
The Mojanda
Situated 4,000 meters in northern Ecuador, Mojanda is a complex of three lakes Caricocha (male lake) or big lake, Huarmicocha (female lake) or small lake and Yanacocha or black lake. These lagoons are far away from any population therefore the night’s sky is free from any light or noise pollution. Surrounded by high mountains and stunning lakes, the stars will be showcasing their natural spectacle, and in the morning be sure to get up early to see the sunrise which will be equally spectacular.
The Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru’s Andean highlands, and located in the Cuzco area. The stars have always fundamental to the religion of the Inca, they identified and assigned constellations and individual stars a purpose; often protection. The sun and the moon were considered gods, and the people built temples especially for the sun to pass over pillars and windows at certain times of the day.
Although sometimes the clouds interfere with the perfect starry night, the history of the Inca culture will enrich any visit to The Sacred Valley.
The Alvaro Averoa National Park
Travel through a vast wilderness filled with volcanoes, lagoons full of flamingos, stones of unimaginable shapes and salt mines, the landscape is as beautiful as it is strange. With the lack of human activity, the stars light up at night and await your presence.
Maimara
This small Argentine town in the province of Jujuy is a town located between mountains that have a rich magical history. Lie down and enjoy everything nature wants to give you, marvel at the colorful geological formations and the beautiful illumined sky.
