When the sun sets in Spain, the first place the stars appear is at the eastern end of the Balearic Islands,in Minorca.
The Island has such a unique setting that its now been declared a Starlight Reserve, which means it’s one of the best places in the world to see the stars in all their glory.
Minorca had already been declared a Biosphere Reserve and is part of the UNESCO M&B, (Man and the Biosphere), Program and is the only island in the Mediterranean with both certificates, but it still had to pass several audits to confirm the quality of its sky at night.
Astro Tourism
Minorca now has an opportunity to cash in on a completely new group of tourists who are interested in astronomy.
The Minorcan Starlight Reserve will have an astronomical observatory, viewpoints in strategic enclaves at iconic beaches and Talayotic monuments and a network of photometres.
The Starlight Reserve is an international initiative which aims to reinforce the public’s relationship with nature by establishing specific locations worldwide, where people can see what the night sky and the stars look like without pollution from city lights and preserve them for future generations.