The entire strip of solar eclipse what will be seen in Spain this August 12, 2026 has fallen into a curious area. Many of the best-positioned towns belong to emptied Spain, a region to which, possibly, people who would never have considered including them in their vacations will travel. These people will be lucky enough to discover very charming places and, why not? a different way of tourism.
Eclipses are spectacular phenomena, with very good press, that attract people from all over the world; but, in reality, astronomical tourism is a reality that more and more travelers joinregardless of whether there are extreme events on the calendar. And the truth is that within the totality strip there are towns that have been exploiting this form of tourism for a long time. This is, for example, the case of Borobia.
This Soria town of 218 inhabitants It has an astronomical observatory in which informative activities have been carried out for 24 years. I have been able to speak with Azahara Rojas Ronceroastrophysicist and astronomer at said observatory, to tell me what plans they have for the solar eclipse. The reality is that, despite the small size of the town, they tend to always have a lot of people in their astronomical tourism activities. However, like many other towns, this phenomenon will allow them to have their fill. Never better said.
Borobia, an ideal place to see the solar eclipse
Borobia, like most of the province of Soria, has the Starlight seal. That means that They have skies with very little light pollution, ideal for observing the firmament. Many of the points that are within the band of totality of the solar eclipse this August have this certificate. However, Borobia has added advantages. On this occasion, the eclipse will occur at a time very close to sunset, so we will have to look to the west to see it. There, according to Rojas Roncero, lies Borobia’s great advantage.
“In Borobia we have the hills right on the other side, on the east side, and the flatter area faces us to the west area,” he explains. “Therefore, the observation point is perfect, because we have a very open horizon and right on the other side we have a high area where we can see it.” For her, it has been a kind of gift from heaven for having been looking at it for 24 years.
The ideal date
This solar eclipse will be located in a perfect area, with wonderful skies to see it. But it will also take place at a unique moment, coinciding with the peak of the perseids. During the two minutes of totality you will be able to see some of the brightest stars in the sky, but hardly a Perseid. For that we need more time in the dark, eyes well adapted to it and a little luck. However, those who have taken advantage of the solar eclipse to start astrotourism have an appointment with the sky once the Sun has completely left.
Borobia Observatory
In fact, Borobia is an ideal site for these observations. Not just because of everything we have already seen. Also because in their Observatory they carry out activities such as March of the Perseidsin which visitors will take a night walk, while listening to legends of mythology and looking at the sky in search of a Perseid. In addition, at the end of the route there are telescopes ready for observation.
Other activities
Both on the day of the solar eclipse and the days before and after it, a multitude of activities will be carried out in Borobia, including night and day observations of the sky, walks through the Perseids, workshops and presentations by experts from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and the Astronomy Classroom of Armilla (Granada). There will even be concerts and food trucks. a whole festival to enjoy the sky of Soria in such a special event.
What about accommodations?
Borobia is a very small municipality, with very few accommodations; that, the same as in Puertomingalvo and many other towns in the totality strip, have been full for more than a year. For this reason, the town has used its imagination to be able to serve all the tourists who will travel there for the solar eclipse.
To begin, Rojas Roncero says that camping areas have been set upwith access to bathrooms and showers. But this is not enough if the thousands of people who are believed to be able to travel there arrive. That’s why, An appeal has been made to the residents of Borobia themselveslooking for some who are willing to rent rooms in their houses. The request has been well received and several have agreed to accommodate tourists who come there on the occasion of the solar eclipse.
What else can you see in Borobia?
We have seen that Borobia is an ideal place for astronomical tourism. But the good thing about this tourism is that it goes very well with other ways of visiting new places. It is often a magnificent occasion to enjoy a perfect blend of heritage and nature. In the case of this town in Soria, those who travel there you will be able to enjoy of monuments such as the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Medieval Castle. In addition, they will enjoy natural sites such as the Gandalia lagoon, the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Santos and the Sabinar de Ciria y Borobia. All of these enclaves are perfect for hiking, with routes such as the Vuelta al Moncayo and the Yeseras.
Hermitage of Our Lady of Saints
In short, Borobia is an ideal place to enjoy the solar eclipse while discovering those hidden treasures of emptied Spain. For those responsible for the observatory, this eclipse will be a gift from heaven, but surely its visitors will not be left indifferent either.
Image | Diego Delso | Borobia Observatory
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