Everything you need to ask before eclipse day.

Monday, 2 August 2027. In southern mainland Spain the maximum occurs around 10:50 CEST, with exact times depending on your coordinates.

The path covers Ceuta and Melilla, almost all of Cádiz province, much of Málaga province and the southernmost parts of Granada and Almería. Outside the path, the eclipse is partial.

Yes. For the 2 August 2027 eclipse, Spain is the only European country crossed by the path of totality.

Among the official headline city figures published by IGN, Ceuta reaches about 4m48s, Melilla about 4m34s, Cádiz about 2m54s and Málaga about 1m48s. Exact duration changes from point to point.

There is no universal winner. Tarifa is our mainland all-round pick; Estepona is strong for weather-plus-comfort; Ceuta maximizes headline duration; Málaga maximizes international access. Use the ranked Best Places guide for the trade-offs.

Astronomically, Luxor is stronger: about 6m22s of totality and an exceptionally dry historical cloud signal. Spain is easier for many European travelers and offers more familiar road-trip and backup-base logistics. “Better” depends on what you optimize.

No. They are climatology, not a forecast. They help compare bases months in advance; the exact observing site should be chosen from short-range forecasts close to 2 August 2027.

Choose the broad base early, but keep the exact beach, viewpoint or nearby municipality flexible. Around 48–72 hours before the eclipse, weather and official traffic/access plans become much more useful for the final decision.

Our planning preference is to secure a cancellable base early rather than wait for the final weather forecast. Accommodation can be changed; sold-out inventory cannot. Always check the cancellation terms before booking.

If possible, sleep close enough to walk or make a short local move. Major same-morning repositioning adds traffic and parking risk. Keep the car as a weather backup, not as the only way to reach your primary site.

Local 2027 arrangements are not yet known for most places. Treat normal roadside capacity as unreliable, avoid planning to park on verges, and re-check municipal/traffic information close to the event.

Yes during all partial phases. Use solar viewers that conform to ISO 12312-2 from a reliable supplier. Only during the brief period of complete totality may you look without the viewers; put them back on as soon as the bright Sun reappears.

No. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for direct solar viewing.

Only with a proper solar filter mounted over the front of the optics during the partial phases. Eclipse glasses worn behind an unfiltered telescope, binoculars or camera are not sufficient.

The landscape still darkens during totality, but thick cloud can hide the corona and the direct visual spectacle. That is why we prioritize mobility and pre-selected backup areas instead of a single fixed viewpoint.

Yes, with correct solar viewers and active adult supervision during the partial phases. Practice using the viewers before eclipse day so children know when and how to keep them on.

Yes, as a partial eclipse. But a 99% partial eclipse is not the same experience as totality: the corona and the dramatic total-eclipse sky require being inside the totality path.

Use our Eclipse Explorer and tap the map or use your location. It calculates local eclipse type, maximum, contacts, totality duration where applicable, Sun altitude and azimuth for the selected coordinates.