Catalonia prepares for a flood of visitors for the total eclipse of 2026.
The Government is already evaluating which municipalities will be most affected by the phenomenon in order to organize accommodation and mobility.
BarcelonaIt's been over 120 years since a total solar eclipse darkened the sky prematurely in Catalonia. next August 12, 2026 This exceptional astronomical phenomenon will be visible, especially in Terres de l'Ebre and Lleida, cloud cover permitting. Although there is still more than a year to go before day turns into night for just over a minute and a half, the Generalitat (Catalan government) is already preparing to organize the expected crush of astronomy enthusiasts in the "total visibility" zones; that is, from where the eclipse will be easiest to observe. Pending the details of these locations, the luckiest city would be Roquetes (Baix Ebre).
The 2017 eclipse in the United States interested 88% of American adults and is considered economically equivalent to celebrating 50 Superbowls. Given the boom in eclipse tourism, the government hopes to make the south of the country a major attraction next August. Therefore, it plans to approve the creation of the interdepartmental eclipse commission on Tuesday. Its objectives include identifying the best visibility points and planning accommodation and mobility in privileged municipalities. In addition, will baptize In 2026, the eclipse will be designated as the year of the eclipse, and the phenomenon will be introduced into school curricula through workshops, materials, and observations. The night before, there will be localities that will become observation points. According to the Regional Minister for Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, the various research institutes are already working on creating a map to identify these areas. "See it," explains director Ignasi Ribas.
The total eclipse will occur at 8:30 p.m., when the sun is just 4 or 5 degrees above the horizon. Sunset is at 9 p.m., and it will only be observable in places with a horizon. "There will be no clouds, no mountains in the background to cast shadows," adds Ribas. This episode will bypass Barcelona and Valencia (and Madrid), but Palma will be the most privileged place to observe it.
Complicity of the municipalities
Once the recommended areas have been identified, the councilor explains, "the complicity" of these municipalities will be sought to determine their mobility and equipment needs to ensure not only that eclipse tourists can enjoy this historic event, but also that the area's cultural and gastronomic resources can be promoted in the days before and after. The eclipse (March 29) only caused a 14% obscuration and already generated great interest, which will allow "Catalonia to have a special moment and projection in Europe and the world," says Montserrat. This is the pressure on the territory: this large influx of visitors is expected to impact tourist accommodations and public spaces, where observation equipment will be necessary. Furthermore, it will be important to implement preventive health and safety measures, since direct vision of the sun causes eye damage.
