This Trio of Islands Has the World's Darkest Skies-and Perfect Conditions for Stargazing

"Interest in astrotourism has surged since the 2024 eclipse's path of totality touched the U.S., and seeing the Northern Lights is one of the top travel trends for the new year. Destinations are leaning into the craze with new observatories and "astro trails," while hardcore astronomy-lovers have had Aug. 12, 2026 marked on their calendars for years: It's when the next total eclipse will bring legions of travelers to Iceland, Greenland, parts of Spain, and cruise ships to witness the natural phenomenon."

"But you won't have to wait until next summer to experience some stunning extraterrestrial wonders. A new study from The Invisible Tourist ranks the absolute best destinations for stargazing based on their average mean radiance values. A lower average means less pollution and darker, clearer nights that leave resplendent stars to command the sky. Unsuprisingly, remote islands dominated the list. Three islands-two in the South Pacific Ocean and one in the Pacific-tied for the No. 1 spot with perfect radiance scores of zero."

"It has one of the world's largest raised coral atolls, underwater caves, and the honor of being the first entire nation to receive International Dark-Sky Designation. Home to only around 1,600 people, the picturesque hideaway is celebrated as one of the world's best scuba destinations and is teeming with wildlife views even from land, where you can admire a gorgeous array of bird species, whales with a predilection for swimming close to shore, and spinner dolphins that gather beneath limestone cliffs with perfect vantage points."

Astrotourism demand rose after the 2024 eclipse and Northern Lights interest became a leading travel trend. Destinations are investing in observatories and astro trails while travelers anticipate the Aug. 12, 2026 total eclipse over Iceland, Greenland, parts of Spain, and cruise routes. A study ranked stargazing sites by average mean radiance, where lower values indicate darker, clearer skies. Remote islands dominated the top positions, with three islands tied for the No. 1 spot at zero radiance. Niue earned a national Dark-Sky designation and offers coral atolls, caves, rich wildlife, and renowned scuba opportunities.

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