Josh Gabelich
If you spent 2020 living in a bubble, dreaming of a return to normality, then the thought of spending a night or two inside a bubble this year may not appeal to you.
But then again, there is living in a bubble, and then there is the bubble experience on a Tenerife mountain in the Canary Islands, Spain.
Hotel Rural La Correa Del Almendro is nestled on a hill more than 1800 metres above sea level, where the clouds perch just below and above, creating a surreal experience.
If you are looking for a unique European island experience, when things return to normal – whatever that means in 2021 – this is it.
Life inside the bubble is luxurious.
Massimo Maestroni and his wife Andra bought the hotel at the end of April while Spain was in full lockdown and got to work transforming a place that has stood for more than 300 years.
Maestroni is Italian and has lived all over the world, running hotels and guest houses in different parts of Rio de Janeiro and Sydney before the pair relocated to Tenerife a handful of years ago.
By the time visitors were returning to the Canary Islands in droves last September, the couple had breathed life into the six-room boutique hotel and added one unique experience that redefines the definition of glamping.
And that’s a spacious, luxurious bubble at the bottom of the property, which is settled on a hill looking down on a small village – and a made-for-Instagram football field – and designed for stargazers, even if you didn’t realise that’s your thing.
The perfect place to watch the sun rise and set in Tenerife.
Tenerife, which is one of the seven Canary Islands, is one of the prime sky observing destinations on the planet due to its favourable year-round climate – the temperature hovered above 20 degrees in late December – clear skies and long-gazing hours.
With a completely transparent roof that provides a panoramic view of the sky, you wake up feeling like you are outside. For those worried about privacy, don’t be. The location of the bubble experience is perfect for seclusion while enjoying your stay at Hotel Rural La Correa Del Almendro.
The plan is to add five more bubbles – one for each room – to the hotel this year as the world slowly untangles itself from the grip of the coronavirus pandemic.
By the time you head back out the gates of the hotel and navigate your way back down the steep hills and mountain-top village in these parts of Tenerife, you will have a whole new appreciation for astronomy. Even if that isn’t your thing.
With year-round sunshine one of the few guarantees in the world right now, this is the experience you didn’t know you need when you head back into Europe.