On August 12, the first of the solar eclipses that will make up the so-called Iberian Trio will take place. In 2026, 2027 and 2028 we will have solar eclipses that can be seen in Spain. The third will be annular, but the other two are total eclipses and their strip of totality crosses very different places. In 2026this strip goes from the north of Galicia to almost all of the Balearic Islands, passing through Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, the north of Castilla y León and the Valencian Community and a part of the Basque Country, Navarra, Madrid, Aragon, Catalonia and Castilla la Mancha. That of 2027, on the other hand, will be seen far to the south, especially in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Something curious about the first eclipse is that it is expected to transport a large number of tourists to towns in what is known as emptied Spain. That is, to places that are not normally among the favorite destinations of national tourism. And much less from the international one. There are many people who have decided to organize their vacations this year around this astronomical event. August 12 has been marked on your calendar for many months. In some cases, even more than a year. After all, for astronomy lovers, having a total solar eclipse in your country is almost like having your favorite international singer come on tour in your city.
I have talked about all this with Mabel Anguloone of those people who have decided to organize their vacations around the eclipse. Chatting with her it is inevitable to become infected with that illusion of seeing with your own eyes one of those shows that you can barely see once or a few times in your life. And, in reality, listening to it you understand that, two months before the big day, there are already so many hotels and rural accommodations full to the brim.
What leads a person to organize their vacation around a solar eclipse?
Mabel is a great lover of astronomy. In her work as a journalist for Canal Sur specialized in science, she especially enjoys communicating news that is related to space. Furthermore, years ago he became interested in astrophotography, a hobby that has helped him meet many other people with the same passion. Therefore, the opportunity to see a solar eclipse seems like a unique gift worth taking advantage of.
“As an astronomy fan, I think it is one of the most amazing events you can witness.” Many of his colleagues have already seen one and only tell him wonderful things. “Everyone tells you that it is wonderful to see how day turns into night, to be able to see the crown, which is normally hidden from our sight… I am very curious.” Above all, he wants to see it with his own eyesto see if everything is as wonderful as they say. “Although I think so, because I see broadcasts from other places like the United States in 2024 and, honestly, those faces cannot be faked.”
Plus, there is another very special reason why you want to see the eclipse. And he would like to be able to share with his mother the impressions of having witnessed one of these phenomena. “My mother saw the one from 1959. It is usually said that the one in 1912 was the last total solar eclipse in Spain, but no, gentlemen, it was the last one on the peninsula, in the Canary Islands there was one in ’59.” He had never told him this, but when she told him that she was planning her vacation to see this year’s one, he explained how she saw it then. “When a 91-year-old person keeps remembering that it was night and that it was incredible, you already know that it really is something special, that it will be part of the wonderful experiences of the life.”
The only summer vacation
For Mabel, this is going to be her only vacation. Although he also plans trips to see his family, the only leisure trip he will have this summer will be the one he has planned to see the eclipse.
In your case, it will go to an area between Valladolid and Palencia. You have opted for a trip organized by a company called take me to the stars. Meet Heike Mai, CEO of the company, from the Jerez astronomy association. They told him that they were organizing trips and asked him about availability and prices. It was almost a year away, but there was only one gap left. Seeing that it was a “very good offer” he could not reject it. The accommodations were in double rooms, so he only had to find a companion. It didn’t take long for her to find it when she saw that a colleague from her astrophotography association was as excited as she was.
The two friends will travel from Almería, where they live, to Valladolid by car. They will be in a rural accommodation for 5 days, during which they will take the opportunity to visit the surroundings and, of course, take many photographs. Of course, at the time of the eclipse Mabel’s plan is to enjoy, not obsess over the photos. “I’m going to live it,” he tells me. “I’ll set up the telescope and a camera and leave it on during the eclipse. If it comes out, great, if not, great.”
Advance notice is essential
Mabel began looking for ways to organize her vacation in September 2025, exploring possible offers and travel companions. Nevertheless, He left everything closed in January 2026. “In January we closed with Heike and she confirmed us in February,” he recalls. “She wanted us to close everything in time, especially for fear of the prices going up, because it already happened to her with an accommodation that they canceled it and then she saw it uploaded to another, much more expensive portal.”
This is something that is happening a lot. Yes normally There are already people looking to speculate with housingin times like this, when thousands of tourists want to travel to a very specific place, there are those who take the opportunity to raise prices far above what should be fair. Mabel considers that the prices she has paid on her trip are reasonable, but she admits that she saw everything when she was searching.
And what next year?
For Mabel, the eclipse of 2027 will be much closer. He is clear that he wants to see it, although in his mind he hopes to be able to do it another way. “Once I have enjoyed one as a citizen, my great hope, as a journalist, is that my company can count on me as an editor to tell people about it and participate in that collective joy.” To do this, in fact, he is training, taking numerous courses and attending a multitude of talks on the subject.
Two eclipses, two ways of seeing it, but always with the same enthusiasm. Those who are dedicated to popularizing astronomy often say that the sky sells itself. There are few people who are not amazed when they decide to look over their heads. An added attraction, like a solar eclipse, can only make the experience even more exciting. Mabel is clear about it and, like her, all those people who will travel in search of the most magical night that someone can observe in their life. A single minute night that can remain engraved in your mind for a lifetime.
Image | Unsplash/Luc Viatour |ESA
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