Where the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse Crossed Spain

The 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse has ended. This article is retained as a historical comparison of the locations and planning constraints published before the event. For the next total eclipse in Spain, use the 2027 overview, map, city guides and travel guide.

The eclipse occurs close to sunset. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) says the Sun will be about 12° high at maximum in A Coruña, 8° in Burgos and only about 2° in Palma. A hill, trees, buildings or haze can therefore matter as much as the city you choose.

Start with these three official checks

1. Confirm the exact coordinates and local timings in the IGN eclipse viewer. Do not assume the whole province sees totality.
2. Use the AEMET cloud study only as climatology. AEMET explicitly says it is not a forecast for 12 August.
3. Check the latest traffic information. DGT expects exceptional movements and has planned a special eclipse operation.

A Coruña: higher Sun, Atlantic weather risk

The IGN gives A Coruña about 76 seconds of totality, with the Sun around 12° above the horizon. That extra altitude makes horizon clearance less severe than farther east, and the city has an airport and established transport.

The trade-off is cloud risk. AEMET’s historical analysis puts the Cantabrian coast among the areas with the lowest frequency of clear or mostly clear skies, generally 30–50% for the studied dates and hours. That is a historical frequency, not the forecast for eclipse day.

Oviedo: long totality, but inspect the terrain

Oviedo is well inside the totality corridor and our IGN-based city data gives about 1 minute 48 seconds. Mountain relief can block the low western Sun, so verify the sightline in person rather than relying on a map alone.

León and Burgos: inland climatology and open horizons

León and Burgos combine long totality—roughly 1 minute 45 seconds and 1 minute 44 seconds respectively—with more open inland landscapes. AEMET’s study places much of the interior and the Ebro valley in a 50–70% historical frequency of clear or mostly clear skies.

For Burgos, the IGN gives totality from approximately 20:28:55 to 20:30:40, with the Sun about 8° high. The precise times change by location, so use the viewer for your site.

Zaragoza: drier climatology, lower Sun

Zaragoza offers roughly 1 minute 23 seconds of totality in our IGN-based data and generally drier August climatology than the Atlantic coast. The eclipse is later and lower in the sky than in Galicia, making a completely open western horizon essential.

Do not wait until the afternoon to decide on a distant relocation. DGT’s expected traffic concentrations make a late cloud chase unsafe and unreliable.

Palma: strong infrastructure, extreme horizon constraint

Palma offers about 1 minute 36 seconds of totality, but the IGN places the Sun at only about 2° altitude near maximum. This is the strictest horizon test in this comparison: even modest terrain, buildings or maritime haze can hide the eclipsed Sun.

If considering Formentor or another capacity-limited site, verify current access restrictions with the responsible authority. Do not assume a famous viewpoint will be reachable by private car.

The final-week decision framework used in 2026

• Keep your confirmed base unless official forecasts show a meaningful advantage elsewhere.
• Compare AEMET forecasts across a few reachable locations, not across the whole country.
• Inspect the western horizon at the same time of day before 12 August.
• Arrive early, prioritise public transport and avoid improvised post-eclipse driving.
• Use proper solar viewers throughout every partial phase; remove them only during complete totality at a site inside the path.

See the archived 2026 planning update and 2026 city guides, or continue with the 2027 total eclipse.