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10 best Spanish cities to see the total solar eclipse 2026
From A Coruña and Bilbao to Madrid and Zaragoza, here's where to see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, in some of Spain's biggest cities.
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For the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse, Spain's great cities will be pulling in eclipse-chasers from across Europe, but not every famous destination is equally well placed. In Barcelona and Madrid, the eclipse is a near miss — dramatic on paper, yet ultimately disappointing. Madrid gets a 99.96% partial eclipse, which means no totality, so no corona, no twilight sky and no plunge in temperature. Cue a mass exodus from Spain's two biggest cities in search of totality.
To experience a total solar eclipse, you need to be inside the narrow path of totality stretching across northern Spain, from the northwest coast to the east coast. Timing and geography matter because this is a very low-sun eclipse, with totality arriving close to sunset. Coastal beaches, riverbanks, hilltop miradors and elevated parks with unobstructed west-northwest horizons will become prime real estate for one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events. Here are 10 cities for the eclipse, with recommended viewpoints.
Essential resources for checking and re-checking intended destinations for totality include Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map, which has timings and built-in sight lines from Peak Finder, as well as The Eclipse App, Eclipse Horizon Checker and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional. However, nothing beats being in place the night before to check for trees and other obstructions at the time of the eclipse. All times and cloud statistics come from Time and Date and are for totality only.
Time and duration of totality: 8:29 p.m. CEST; 1 minute, 29 seconds
Height of eclipsed sun above west-northwest: 8.7 degrees
Surrounded by flat land and with an excellent chance of clear skies, Valladolid is one of the top spots for the eclipse. There will be some clear sight lines from the east bank of the Pisuerga River, specifically its Playa de las Moreras river beach, though buildings will complicate things, so play it safe and head to the Parque Urbano de las Contiendas on the west side.
Time and duration of totality: 8:29 p.m. CEST; 1 minute, 42 seconds
Height of eclipsed sun above west-northwest: 8.7 degrees