2026 Total Solar Eclipse in Spain: Path, Times and Best Viewpoints
The 2026 eclipse is a beautiful but demanding sunset event. Totality reaches northern Spain and the Balearic Islands late in the day, so a good western horizon is part of the observing plan—not a finishing detail.
At a glance
- Date
- 12 August 2026
- Type
- Total
- Maximum obscuration
- 100%
- Central phase
- about 1 minute; 59–96 seconds at these references
- Event window
- 17:30–19:30 UTC
Where totality reaches Spain
The central path is narrow and location-sensitive. Segovia is a useful mainland reference inside totality; Madrid is close enough for a deep partial eclipse but remains outside the central path. Palma is inside the Balearic section, with an even lower Sun.
Reference locations
Times are shown in local Spanish time where stated; UTC values are provided for checking.
| Location | Visibility | Solar altitude | Solar azimuth | Local contact times |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SegoviaCastile and León | Inside the totality path | 8.03° | 283.10° | C1 19:35:50 CEST · central phase 20:31:09 CEST–20:32:08 CEST · C4 21:23:57 CESTUTC: C1 2026-08-12T17:35:50.319Z · C2 2026-08-12T18:31:09.412Z · max 2026-08-12T18:31:39.099Z · C3 2026-08-12T18:32:08.600Z · C4 2026-08-12T19:23:57.015Z |
| MadridCommunity of Madrid | Deep partial; outside totality | 7.47° | 283.54° | C1 19:36:46 CEST · maximum 20:32:24 CEST · C4 21:24:31 CESTUTC: C1 2026-08-12T17:36:46.870Z · C2 — · max 2026-08-12T18:32:24.051Z · C3 — · C4 2026-08-12T19:24:31.211Z |
| PalmaBalearic Islands | Inside the totality path | 2.65° | 287.50° | C1 19:38:05 CEST · central phase 20:31:06 CEST–20:32:42 CEST · C4 21:22:33 CESTUTC: C1 2026-08-12T17:38:05.312Z · C2 2026-08-12T18:31:06.185Z · max 2026-08-12T18:31:54.343Z · C3 2026-08-12T18:32:42.304Z · C4 2026-08-12T19:22:33.307Z |
Weather considerations
August often favours dry inland conditions, but coastal haze, high cloud and smoke can still obscure a low Sun. Use climate as a first filter only. Keep more than one candidate and check a short-range forecast close to eclipse day.
Terrain limitations
At roughly 3–8° above the horizon in these examples, a ridge, tree line or building can remove the most important minutes. The planner samples the exact horizon around the solar azimuth, so test the actual road, field or rooftop rather than a city label.
Eye safety
Before and after totality, use certified eclipse glasses or a safe indirect projection. During totality only, direct viewing is safe while the bright photosphere is completely covered. Put protection back on before the first bright light returns.
How these numbers were produced
Contact times, solar altitude and azimuth are generated from the same astronomy engine used by the planner, using the event’s Besselian data and the selected reference coordinates. Terrain and buildings are not inferred from this page; run the planner for those exact checks.
Data checked:
Sources
Choose the ground beneath the eclipse
Open the 2026 event in the planner, drop an exact pin and inspect the horizon, contact timeline and weather when a forecast is available.
Run this event at an exact location ↗