It is Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Shortly after half past eight in the afternoon, the sunset light becomes strange, as a metal, the air suddenly cools and the birds are silent. From a hill of Burgos or a rock of Soria, thousands of people observe how the moon has completely covered the sun. Exactly one year is left to total solar eclipse that will obscure Spain for the first time in more than a century.
World capital of astronomical tourism. The Eclipse of 2026 will mark the opening act of an unrepeatable cosmic carambola in several generations: the “Iberian trio”, a sequence of three solar eclipses (two totals and one annular) that They will cross the country in 2026, 2027 and 2028turning Spain, for three consecutive years, in the world capital of astronomy.
The countdown for the first eclipse, which will bless the north of the country, has begun, and what is at stake goes beyond two minutes of shade. Emptied Spain, where hotels and light pollution is scarce equallyprepares to fill itself as never before. In Airbnb alone, searches have increased by 830%. “Especially in rural destinations such as Teruel and Ariza (in Aragon), Guadalajara (in Castilla-La Mancha), Reus (in Catalonia), sample of Los Olmos (in the Valencian Community) or Valldessa (in the Balearic Islands),” an Airbnb spokeswoman told Xataka.
Eclipses hunters have already reserved. In Calatañazor, a small medieval Soriana villa that looks from the heights La Vega del Río Milanos, are “up to the eclipse”. The Casa del Cura told Xataka that the entire inn has been reserved for months by American and French clients. “They get to everything first.”
Similar responses are repeated in much of the province, where the phase of the entire eclipse will last 1 minute and 42 seconds. “The first reservations are received last summer, two years in advance,” the Rural Hotel Pinares de Soria, in Molinos de Duero, told Xataka. Eclipses hunters choose Spain because alternatives are not so encouraging in clouds (Siberia, Greenland and Iceland). And the most early stay with the peoples of the Iberian for their low light pollution.
Few rooms, triggered prices. With much less beds than coastal municipalities, the occupation in the villages of emptied Spain has shot, but also prices. Although it does not allow to reserve so in advance, the Castilla thermal Hotel in the Burgo de Osma has already been able to estimate its rates: the night in a double room for eclipse day will be around 500 euros, twice its current price.
“The Solar Eclipse of 2026 is a unique opportunity that places the Spanish rural communities in the center of the world map,” summarizes Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, director of Airbnb in Spain.
Meanwhile, in hotel Spain. While Airbnb has enormous penetration in the rental of rural houses and apartments in small villages, Booking.com still has its main strength in the hotel offer, concentrated mostly in cities.
Unlike Airbnb, Booking has seen more growth in provincial capitals than in rural areas. Especially in Santiago de Compostela (+85%), A Coruña (+67%), Bilbao (+45%) and Zaragoza (+39%), according to the statements sent to Xataka by the platform.
Luxury eclipse. The entire eclipse band will enter the Peninsula along the Asturian coast and will leave by Castellón, passing, minutes before sunset, on the island of Mallorca. These coastal areas have emerged as “Premium” options to enjoy the astronomical phenomenon.
Despite the Counterreloj career with sunsetMallorca has become the luxury option with 6,000 -euro tourist packages of 6,000 euros per person and suites at 1,700 euros the night that are already reserved. Hotels on the coast of La Tramuntana, such as the Port de Sóller, They have already sold 65% of the accommodation For those dates.
Everyone wants their piece of cake. And public machinery is already underway. Asturias will enjoy the maximum duration of the eclipse in national territory (1 minute and 48 seconds in Oviedo). The Principality has announced the elaboration of a map of insurance points to avoid agglomerations, ocular health campaigns and an international conference with NASA experts to position the region as a reference in the space industry.
Under the motto “Burgos Te Eclipsa”, the Diputación de Burgos has also presented today A 12 -month program of activities and a website. The web recommends six strategic observation zones in different regions (Merindades, Bureba, Demand, Arlanza and Ribera del Duero), remembering that King Alfonso XIII has already chosen the province to see the total eclipse of 1905.
A stress test. Despite the good economic prospects, the eclipse of August 12, 2026 will not be a stress test for the country, especially in areas that are not prepared for the influx of so many tourists.
The Government has created an interministerial commission To face possible challenges, such as road traffic and infrastructure overload such as water, light or mobile connection in rural areas. Not only the Sorian hoteliers of villages of 40 inhabitants are overwhelmed with so much called by the eclipse. The countdown for a historical eclipse has begun in much of the country.
Image | Henar boats (Unspash)
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