No country is better placed for solar eclipses in these years than Spain. On 12 August 2026 a total eclipse crossed the north and east of the country at sunset, the first on the mainland for more than a century. On 2 August 2027 a second one covers the far south in mid-morning, with almost three minutes of totality in Cádiz and nearly five in Ceuta. And on 26 January 2028 an annular eclipse draws a ring of sunlight over Andalusia and Valencia as the Sun goes down. Three central eclipses in eighteen months, each over a different part of the country.

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February 6, 2027: partial solar eclipse

Local time. “Sun covered” is the share of the Sun's disc hidden at the best moment that is above the horizon.

August 2, 2027: total solar eclipse

January 26, 2028: annular solar eclipse

June 1, 2030: partial solar eclipse

August 12, 2026: total solar eclipse (past)

12 August 2026: Totality at Sunset, from Galicia to the Balearics

The shadow came ashore in Galicia and Asturias at about 8:27 p.m. and left over the Balearic Islands a few minutes later. A Coruña had 1 minute 15 seconds of totality, Oviedo 1 minute 48 seconds, León 1 minute 44 seconds, Burgos 1 minute 43 seconds, Zaragoza 1 minute 24 seconds, Valencia 59 seconds and Palma 1 minute 36 seconds. The Sun was low throughout, twelve degrees up in A Coruña and only two in Palma. The two largest cities missed it by a hair. Madrid lay just south of the path and Barcelona just north of it, and each saw 99.9% of the Sun covered, which is a bright evening with a thin arc of light and not a total eclipse. Seville and Málaga had 95%, the Canary Islands about 70%.

2 August 2027: The Long One in Andalusia

The 2027 eclipse is a different kind of event: mid-morning, the Sun nearly 40 degrees high, and a shadow so wide that totality lasts for minutes. It crosses the Strait of Gibraltar. Cádiz has 2 minutes 53 seconds of totality at 10:46 a.m., Málaga 1 minute 49 seconds at 10:49 a.m. and Marbella 3 minutes 16 seconds; Tarifa, at the southern tip, has 4 minutes 38 seconds, Ceuta 4 minutes 48 seconds and Melilla 4 minutes 33 seconds. The northern edge of the path runs just south of Seville, Granada and Huelva, which are left with 98% or 99%, so for those cities a drive of an hour decides everything. The rest of Spain sees a large partial eclipse: 90% in Valencia, 86% in Madrid at 10:51 a.m., 82% in Barcelona, 74% in Bilbao.

26 January 2028: A Ring of Fire at Sunset

Annular means the Moon is too far from the Earth to hide the Sun completely and leaves a bright ring around its edge. On 26 January 2028 that ring is visible from the south and east of Spain just before sunset, at about 5:55 p.m. It lasts 7 minutes 15 seconds in Seville, 7 minutes 12 seconds in Córdoba, 6 minutes 40 seconds in Cádiz, 4 minutes 55 seconds in Málaga and 7 minutes 1 second in Valencia, where the Sun is only two degrees above the horizon. In Barcelona and Palma the ring forms with the Sun on the horizon itself, which in practice means behind haze. Madrid is outside the path and sees 82% covered. Unlike totality, an annular eclipse never becomes safe to look at: eclipse glasses stay on from first contact to sunset.

Before and After: 2005, 2030, 2053

Spain's last central eclipse before this run was the annular eclipse of 3 October 2005, when Madrid had a ring for 4 minutes 10 seconds and Valencia for 3 minutes 40 seconds. The Canary Islands had a total eclipse on 2 October 1959, 2 minutes 17 seconds in Las Palmas. After 2028 the sequence thins out quickly. On 1 June 2030 the Sun rises partially eclipsed over the whole country, about two thirds covered in Valencia and Palma. The next totality on Spanish soil is not until 12 September 2053, and then only at the Strait of Gibraltar: 1 minute 35 seconds in Tarifa and in Ceuta. For most people living in Spain today, 2027 is the last chance in a generation to see a total eclipse without leaving the country.

Frequently asked

Where in Spain is the 2 August 2027 eclipse total?

In the far south: the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga, Ceuta and Melilla. Cádiz has 2 minutes 53 seconds of totality, Málaga 1 minute 49 seconds and Ceuta 4 minutes 48 seconds. Seville, Granada and Madrid see a deep partial eclipse.

What time is the 2027 solar eclipse in Spain?

Totality is at 10:46 a.m. in Cádiz and 10:49 a.m. in Málaga. The partial phase begins at about 9:40 a.m. and ends at about noon. In Madrid the maximum, 86%, is at 10:51 a.m.

Was the 12 August 2026 eclipse total in Madrid or Barcelona?

No. Both cities were just outside the path and saw 99.9% of the Sun covered. Totality was seen in A Coruña, Oviedo, León, Burgos, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Valencia and Palma, among others.

Solar eclipses by country