The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 will be one of the most anticipated astronomical phenomena of the coming years and will mobilize thousands of people in the points of Spain from which the complete obscuration of the Sun can be seen.
In light of the forecast for movements and concentrations of the public, several autonomous communities have begun to enable official sites to follow the eclipse in an organized manner. In other cases, the administrations have published recommended areas or lists of municipalities where the phenomenon will be total.
Duration of totality is not the only factor
The selected points do not only respond to their location within the totality strip nor to the seconds that the eclipse may last in each place. The administrations also take into account practical factors such as access, the capacity, mobility, parking, availability of services and emergency attention.
Therefore, the nearest official point may be a more comfortable and safe alternative to follow the eclipse, even if from another place the totality lasts a few seconds longer. The forecast is that some of these spaces will have specific devices to manage the arrival of visitors and avoid crowds.
Castilla-La Mancha
In Castilla-La Mancha, the eclipse will be total throughout the province of Guadalajara and in the northern half of Cuenca. In the rest of the region, it will be partial, although of very high magnitude, above 98%.
The tourism portal of Castilla-La Mancha points out the best observation areas as Señorío de Molina, in Guadalajara; the Natural Park of Alto Tajo; and the Serranía de Cuenca.
Asturias
In the Principality of Asturias the eclipse can be observed from 78 recommended observation points. The community has identified different sites from which to follow the phenomenon, with the aim of distributing the public and facilitating safer observation.
These points are part of the regional planning for a day in which a high influx of visitors is expected, both from residents and from people traveling from other communities.
Castilla y León
The Junta de Castilla y León has announced 75 recommended viewing points, distributed among its provinces. The community will be one of the key areas for following the eclipse due to its position within the totality strip.
The distribution of points seeks to offer alternatives in different areas of the territory and to avoid that the concentration of visitors is limited to a few particularly known enclaves.
Galicia
The Xunta de Galicia has offered information about the visibility of the eclipse in each of its municipalities. According to that information, 143 Galician municipalities will be able to enjoy the totality.
In this case, it is not a list of official observation points, but rather places where the eclipse will be total. The municipal information allows citizens to check if their locality will be within the totality strip or if the phenomenon will be seen as partial.
Aragón
Aragón will have five official points to observe the eclipse. The announced locations are Alcañiz-Motorland, Calamocha, Cariñena, Épila and Javalambre.
These points have been selected to facilitate organized observation in a community that will be within the path of the Moon's shadow. The choice of spaces with adequate capacity and access will be key to managing the arrival of visitors.
Balearic Islands
In Balearic Islands there are 26 observation points, distributed among Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
The archipelago will be another of the territories where specific spaces will be prepared to follow the eclipse, with special attention to mobility and crowd control in areas that may receive high tourist pressure in the middle of August.
Navarra
The Foral Community of Navarra will have 20 points for the observation of the eclipse in the totality area. The announced locations are Arguedas, Bardenas Reales-Aguilares, Bardenas Reales-El Ferial, Buñuel, Cárcar, Cascante, Castejón, Corella, Fitero, Larraga, Lerín, Lodosa, Marcilla, Mendavia, Peralta, Ribaforada, Sendaviva, Tafalla, Tudela and Viana.
The presence of several points in the Ribera and in the surroundings of the Bardenas Reales will allow the influx to be distributed in a territory particularly attractive for observation due to its open horizons.
Catalonia
In Catalonia, most of the observation points are located in Tarragona, the province where there will be a larger area within the totality strip.
The Catalan planning will presumably focus on organizing the arrival of visitors to the enclaves with better visibility and sufficient capacity to absorb concentrations of the public. On a day in August, access and mobility will be as important as the exact duration of the eclipse.
Community of Madrid
In the Community of Madrid there will be 40 municipalities that will be able to enjoy the totality. In addition, the region will enable 52 observation points to follow the eclipse, both in areas with total and partial visibility.
The Community will also celebrate a special eclipse festival in Buitrago de Lozoya, with food trucks and music, as part of a program designed to turn the observation of the phenomenon into an organized public event.
The towns that will have observation points will be Ambite, Becerril de la Sierra, Berzosa del Lozoya, Braojos, Brunete, Buitrago del Lozoya, Cabanillas de la Sierra, Canencia, Chapinería, Chinchón, Collado Mediano, Colmenar Viejo, Daganzo de Arriba, El Molar, Fresno de Torote, Garganta de los Montes, Gascones, Hoyo de Manzanares, La Cabrera, La Serna del Monte, Los Molinos, Los Santos de la Humosa, Lozoya, Meco, Moralzarzal, Navacerrada, Navalafuente, Navas del Rey, Nuevo Baztán, Olmeda de las Fuentes, Perales de Tajuña, Pezuela de las Torres, Piñuécar-Gandullas, Prádena del Rincón, Puentes Viejas, Rascafría, Robledo de Chavela, San Agustín de Guadalix, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Santa María de la Alameda, Somosierra, Soto del Real, Talamanca de Jarama, Torrejón de la Calzada, Tres Cantos, Valdeolmos-Alalpardo, Valdepiélagos, Villamantilla, Villarejo de Salvanés and Villavieja del Lozoya.
Valencian Community
The Comunitat Valenciana has designated nine recommended locations by the Generalitat, spread across the provinces of Castellón and Valencia, since Alicante is outside the totality zone.
The spaces will have very different capacities, from the 600 attendees expected in the urban area of Utiel to the 60,000 at the beach of Castelló de la Plana, in El Grau. This difference shows the variety of formats planned: from more controlled urban points to large open spaces prepared to receive thousands of people.
Basque Country
In the Basque Country, the Starlight Foundation, an international organization that promotes the protection of the night sky, has certified four key spaces in the province of Álava, which will have the largest area within the totality.
These are not official observation points, but recommended places for enjoying the sky. They are the Izki Natural Park, the Valderejo Natural Park, the Vía Verde del Vasco-Navarro and the Santa Catalina Botanical Garden.
How to check visibility in any municipality
The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 will be visible from Spain and will be one of the great astronomical events of the decade. That day, the shadow of the Moon will cross the Peninsula from west to east and will allow a total eclipse to be seen in a large part of the northern half of the country, while in other areas it will be observed as partial.
To facilitate consultation, Europa Press offers a visibility map and a search tool by municipalities that allows checking how the phenomenon will be seen in each locality: whether it will be total or partial, at what moment it will reach its maximum phase, and what horizon conditions should be taken into account.
The recommendation: plan before traveling
The main recommendation is not to improvise. Although many points within the totality zone will allow observing the eclipse, the official or recommended locations may offer more guarantees due to their access, organization, capacity, and emergency coverage.
The eclipse will be visible for only a few minutes, but the travel, arrival, parking, and departure can condition the entire experience. Therefore, before choosing a point, it is advisable to check if there are access restrictions, if a reservation is required, what services will be available, and what weather forecast is expected for that area.