Spain’s 2026 Solar Eclipse Sparks Tourism Rush

In less than a year, Spain will become a prime viewing spot for a total solar eclipse, continental Europe's first since 1999. The date for travel companies to prepare for: August 12, 2026.
The eclipse is set to trace a path of totality across 40% of Spain, as well as parts of Greenland, Iceland, Russia, and Portugal. The peak moment will last for approximately one minute and 40 seconds along its center line.
For tour operators, the math is compelling: limited viewing zones, limited accommodation, and potentially millions of eclipse tourists equal premium pricing power, as the U.S. saw during a 2024 total solar eclipse.
Steve Ridgway, president of educational tour operator Criterion Travel, has spent more than a year scouting for unobstructed western views in northwestern Spain for what could be one of the most lucrative tourist events in Europe next year.
“The ideal viewing site must be directly on, or very near to, the center line of the e
skift.