Where to see the total eclipse
On 12 August 2026, totality will only be visible under a band less than 300 km wide, crossing western Iceland and then northern Spain. Here is where to stand, at what time, and how to plan the trip.
Key facts
- Spain: totality between 20:27 and 20:32 (CEST), from the Cantabrian coast to the Balearics. Durations from ~30 s (Bilbao) to ~1 min 45 s (Oviedo, Burgos). Very low Sun: 2 to 10° above the horizon.
- Iceland: totality around 17:48 local time (UTC+0) over the west of the island, including Reykjavik (~1 min). High Sun (~25°), up to ~2 min near the centre line.
- Outside the band: Madrid and Barcelona stay in partial eclipse (~99.8%), with no darkness and no corona. Totality has to be earned: you must be under the band.
- Record: maximum duration ~2 min 18 s, at sea west of Iceland. First totality visible from continental western Europe since 1999.
- Plan ahead: accommodation along the band is already in demand - book early and stay mobile on the day depending on the weather.
The route of the path of totality
The Moon's shadow touches Earth in the Arctic, passes between eastern Greenland and western Iceland, dives south across the North Atlantic, then reaches Spain on the Cantabrian coast around 20:27 (CEST). It sweeps across the north and centre of the country - Asturias, Castile and León, Aragon - before leaving land through the Valencia region and the Balearics, where the eclipse ends almost at sunset. From France the eclipse remains partial: see the times and percentages city by city on our dedicated page.
Spain: reachable by car, statistically favourable skies
This is the simplest option from France: the path of totality starts about an hour's drive from the Basque border. Bilbao sits at the northern limit of the band (barely 30 seconds of totality) - better to push inland, where the centre line crosses the Burgos region and Asturias. In August, the plains of Castile are among the most cloud-free areas of Europe in the late evening.
The main constraint is the Sun's altitude: 2 to 10 degrees above the west-northwest horizon at totality. In practice, a building, a hill or a line of trees is enough to hide the event. Scout your site in advance: high ground, open plain or west-facing coastline, and check on location a few days ahead that nothing blocks the horizon.
| City | Region | Totality starts (CEST) | Duration | Sun altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oviedo | Asturias | 20:27 | ~1 min 45 s | ~10° |
| Gijón | Asturias | 20:27 | ~1 min 45 s | ~10° |
| Santander | Cantabria | 20:27 | ~1 min | ~9° |
| Bilbao | Basque Country | 20:27 | ~30-35 s (northern limit) | ~8° |
| Burgos | Castile and León | 20:28 | ~1 min 44 s | ~8° |
| Valladolid | Castile and León | 20:30 | ~1 min 28 s | ~8° |
| Zaragoza | Aragon | 20:29 | ~1 min 24 s | ~6° |
| Valencia | Valencian Community | 20:32 | ~1 min (southern limit) | ~4° |
| Palma de Majorca | Balearic Islands | 20:31 | ~1 min 36 s | ~2° |
Local times rounded to the minute, durations computed from Fred Espenak's Besselian elements and cross-checked with timeanddate.com. In Palma, totality occurs ~2° above the sea: spectacular, but the slightest cloud bank on the horizon is enough to hide it.
Iceland: high Sun, long durations, fickle weather
Western Iceland is the other main destination: the band covers the Westfjords, the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Reykjavik and the Reykjanes peninsula. Totality occurs there around 17:48 local time (UTC+0), with the Sun about 25° high - no horizon issues, unlike Spain. Reykjavik, close to the northern limit, gets about 1 minute of totality; near the centre line on the west coast, it approaches 2 minutes. It will be the first total eclipse visible from Iceland since 1954.
The limiting factor is the weather: in August the Icelandic sky is often partly overcast and changes quickly. The proven eclipse-chaser strategy is to rent a vehicle, follow hour-by-hour forecasts and drive to the clearest area on the morning itself. The partial phases run from 16:47 to 18:47, which leaves some margin to adjust position.
Planning the trip
- Book now: accommodation along the band (Asturias, Burgos, western Iceland) goes fast; prices rise as the event approaches.
- Expect traffic: on the evening of 12 August, roads towards the band will be busy - especially from Madrid, Barcelona and the French border. Arrive on site several hours before 20:00.
- Keep a weather plan B: identify two or three observing sites 50-100 km apart and decide on the morning itself based on cloud-cover forecasts.
- Bring ISO 12312-2 glasses: mandatory during all partial phases, including inside the path of totality - see our safe-observation guide.
- Do not sacrifice totality to photography: a first totality should be experienced with your own (protected outside totality) eyes. If you shoot, prepare everything in advance and automate.
Get the eclipse-start alert for your location
The Pulsar app notifies you at first contact, at the start of totality and at the end of the eclipse, with exact times computed for wherever you are - in France, Spain or Iceland.