Updated: April 2026
Callosa, in the Valencia region of Spain, is best known for its níspero — a small golden fruit, somewhere between a peach and an apricot. It thrives here in abundance, and Spain is its main producer in Europe.
But I didn’t leave Callosa thinking about fruit.
I left completely mesmerised by the stars.
A Sceptic Under the Night Sky
I’ll be honest , astronomy has never been my thing.
Light years, planets, the speed of light, all felt a little too abstract for me. In fact, I’ll admit something rather embarrassing:
I wasn’t entirely convinced that man had really walked on the moon.
Yes… really.
The Telescope That Changed Everything
My host Graham, an enthusiastic (and very knowledgeable) astronomy lover, offered to show me the night sky through his telescope, a rather impressive Skywatcher Newtonian.
I agreed, if only to be polite.
He carefully set everything up, adjusting lenses and angles with great care, clearly in his element.
And then…
I looked.
Seeing the Moon — Properly Seeing It
There it was.
The moon.
Not just a distant glow in the sky but right there, close enough to feel almost within reach.
And then I saw it…
The Sea of Tranquillity.
The very place where Apollo 11 landed.
I was completely overwhelmed.
That was the moment everything shifted — seeing truly is believing.
I was so excited that I became quite loud, loud enough for his partner to come outside and check what all the fuss was about. To her, it was nothing unusual, she sees it all the time.
But for me?
It was extraordinary.
And just like that… I believed.
Nights Filled with Wonder
From that moment on, I spent my evenings on the balcony, sometimes with the telescope, sometimes just looking up.
And what I saw stayed with me.
- Saturn, with its unmistakable rings
- Mars, glowing softly like an orange star
- Jupiter, accompanied by its moons
- Countless stars scattered across the sky
There’s even an app that tells you what you’re looking at, though I must admit, I’m still learning!
A New Habit I Didn’t Expect
Before this trip, I hadn’t really noticed the stars, not in London, not anywhere.
Now?
I find myself constantly looking up at the night sky.
Someone will say, “That’s Venus.”
And I quietly think… are you sure, or are you just guessing?
Capturing the Uncapturable
Stargazing is one of those experiences that simply doesn’t translate well into photographs.
You really do have to see it for yourself.
That said, my host captured this incredible image — a red moon over the Mediterranean — using his Nikon camera attached to his telescope.
Final Thoughts
If you ever get the opportunity to experience true stargazing — away from city lights, with someone who knows what they’re doing — take it.
You might just discover a whole new way of seeing the world.
I certainly did.
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