{"id":1145717,"date":"2026-08-13T06:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T06:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1145717\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T06:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T06:38:22","slug":"millions-crowd-spanish-cities-for-a-total-solar-eclipse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1145717\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions crowd Spanish cities for a total solar eclipse"},"content":{"rendered":"

MEDINACELI, Spain (AP) \u2014 Millions of people crowded cloudless cities and towns in Spain on Wednesday in search of the best views of a total solar eclipse,<\/a> when the alignment of the sun, moon and Earth briefly plunged parts of the planet into darkness.<\/p>\n

The crowds brought lawn chairs and umbrellas as they eagerly awaited the celestial spectacle, which began early in the evening. As the sky darkened, gradually at first and then quickly, people broke into applause and cheered. It was the country\u2019s first total solar eclipse in more than a century. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s simply impossible to imagine,\u201d Rosa Celiberti, a language teacher who watched from Medinaceli, a Roman-era hilltop town in northeast Spain, said with tears in her eyes. \u201cNo matter how many photos or videos you\u2019ve seen, nothing comes even close to what it actually feels like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across a wide band of northern and central Spain and Portugal, millions of people enjoyed some of mainland Europe\u2019s best views of the eclipse. It also passed over slivers of Greenland and Iceland.<\/p>\n

Totality \u2014 when the moon completely covers the sun\u2019s light \u2014 was expected to last less than 2\u00bd minutes, reaching its maximum duration off Iceland\u2019s west coast. By the time it got to a small patch of Portugal and then to Spain, just before sunset, totality dwindled to a minute or so. The total eclipse then ended over the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

The eclipse was expected to draw at least a half-million additional visitors, Spanish authorities said. Demand for hotel rooms along the path of totality, including in the northern cities of A Coru\u00f1a, Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela, soared.<\/p>\n

Rural areas prepared for an influx of visitors<\/p>\n

The event unfolded against the backdrop of scorching summer temperatures and wildfires<\/a>, and Spanish officials rolled out a large public safety campaign.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A man wears special eclipse glasses, as beachgoers gather before a total solar eclipse set to begin around sunset, at a beach near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Alberto Saiz)<\/p>\n

A man wears special eclipse glasses, as beachgoers gather before a total solar eclipse set to begin around sunset, at a beach near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Alberto Saiz)<\/p>\n

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Temperatures across much of Spain climbed above 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) in many areas where the eclipse was observed. Some 350 official viewing sites were set up across the sparsely populated interior, and more than 33,500 law enforcement officers were deployed to observation areas and access points, the Interior Ministry said. <\/p>\n

Only weeks ago, the most destructive wildfire in Spanish history<\/a> devoured 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands<\/a> of people in \u00c1vila, in central Spain. Several smaller wildfires remain active elsewhere in southern and central parts of the country.<\/p>\n

Despite clouds, sky watchers in Iceland witnessed darkness<\/p>\n

In Reykjavik, clouds did not prevent hundreds of people from gathering in bright raincoats in front of the landmark Hallgr\u00edmskirkja church as the skies darkened.<\/p>\n

Spain is preparing to witness a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, the first to cross the country\u2019s mainland in more than a century. (AP Video: Iain Sullivan)<\/p>\n

With rain falling, the disk of the sun was barely perceptible and then, suddenly, the lights went out. Only the glow of phones held aloft could be seen.<\/p>\n

The crowd cheered the darkness as it rained harder and roared even louder when the first light returned. They did not wait to watch the remainder of the partial eclipse and quickly cleared out of the square.<\/p>\n

Eclipse glasses sold fast<\/p>\n

Special eclipse glasses<\/a> were essential for safe viewing, even if only a sliver of the sun remained visible. The glasses are made with special filters that block solar radiation that can damage the eyes.<\/p>\n

For months, supermarkets, department stores, museums and planetariums across Spain had sold or distributed the glasses, with many pharmacies running out of stock ahead of Wednesday.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday evening in downtown Madrid, a long line formed outside a photo shop where a sign read, \u201cWe carry eclipse glasses.\u201d <\/p>\n

One woman emerged triumphantly and reassured those waiting: \u201cHe has boxes and boxes of them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jana<\/p>\n

\n Jana Timm is holds four pairs of special solar viewing glasses that she bought at the Hamburg Planetarium to safely observe the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. (Christian Charisius\/dpa via AP)\n <\/p>\n

Jana Timm is holds four pairs of special solar viewing glasses that she bought at the Hamburg Planetarium to safely observe the partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. (Christian Charisius\/dpa via AP)<\/p>\n

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\"Special<\/p>\n

\n Special protective glasses for viewing the sun are stored in a cardboard box at the Hamburg Planetarium on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. (Christian Charisius\/dpa via AP)\n <\/p>\n

Special protective glasses for viewing the sun are stored in a cardboard box at the Hamburg Planetarium on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. (Christian Charisius\/dpa via AP)<\/p>\n

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A ship circles waters near Greenland hoping to catch a glimpse<\/p>\n

Sverre Rud, captain of the MS Spitsbergen, was circling the waters of Rypefjord in eastern Greenland trying to make sure he was perfectly positioned for his 126 passengers to view the spectacle. All day, people came up to Rud to ask if he had nailed the right spot, with no clouds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will do my best,\u201d Rud said. \u201cI will pull out my superman powers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The eclipse may have been startling for the passengers, who had been experiencing 24 hours of daylight on a 17-day cruise in locations mostly north of the Arctic Circle.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, for two minutes it was dark.<\/p>\n

Even so, the mood on the polar ship had been pure anticipation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is very enthusiastic,\u201d Rud said. \u201cWhen we were down for breakfast earlier, it was almost like a little bit of a Christmas Eve feeling here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hotel costs skyrocketed in Spain and Iceland<\/p>\n

Rooms in Reykjav\u00edk, Iceland\u2019s capital, averaged more than $1,000 for Wednesday night as Icelanders prepared for their first total solar eclipse since 1954 and the first visible from the capital since 1433. <\/p>\n

Prices were roughly double 2025 rates, according to data group Lighthouse Intelligence. Many tourists made bookings years in advance. But cloudy skies prevailed across much of the island.<\/p>\n

Authorities expected up to 20,000 additional overseas visitors during an already busy peak tourist period. Iceland is home to fewer than 400,000 people.<\/p>\n

The 70-room Hotel Keflav\u00edk in the Reykjanesbaer municipality was fully booked, with guests hoping to see around one minute and 45 seconds of totality.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People use solar eclipse glasses to look up at the sun ahead of a solar eclipse Reykjavik, Iceland, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Marco di Marco)<\/p>\n

People use solar eclipse glasses to look up at the sun ahead of a solar eclipse Reykjavik, Iceland, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Marco di Marco)<\/p>\n

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\u201cEclipse time, of course, has been very demanding, and many people came to us early, like last year,\u201d said Stein\u00fe\u00f3r J\u00f3nsson, the hotel\u2019s owner and manager.<\/p>\n

J\u00f3nsson said he had seen nothing like it since 1986, the year the hotel opened, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev held a summit in Reykjav\u00edk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I opened the hotel, we had Reagan and Gorbachev meeting. It was very hectic here,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cBesides Reagan and Gorbachev, the eclipse is the biggest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sun mostly obscured in Britain<\/p>\n

Across Britain, where the sun was more than 90% obscured, people flocked to hilltop parks and anywhere with an open view of the sky to see the best eclipse since 1999. <\/p>\n

In Greenwich Park, with views of the River Thames and central London, the sky turned an eerie gray as a sliver of light sat atop the moon like a hat. <\/p>\n

Veronica Orozco popped open a bottle of champagne to share with neighbors as she witnessed the second eclipse of her life. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Venezuela and I was young and I thought that the sun would not come back. My dad said, \u2018It is science, of course it will come back,\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cNow sitting here at the age of 41, it is still magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aja Lilit, who turned 24 on Tuesday, said the eclipse was like a \u201cbirthday present from the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the rare event made her think of how small she was at a \u201ccosmic level.\u201d <\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press journalists Teresa Medrano in Madrid; Danica Kirka and Brian Melley in London; Marco Di Marco in Reykjavik, Iceland; and James Brooks in Sn\u00e6fellsnes, Iceland, contributed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MEDINACELI, Spain (AP) \u2014 Millions of people crowded cloudless cities and towns in Spain on Wednesday in search…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1145718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5312],"tags":[12019,901,51,7029,8616,47555,2000,299,4179,10680,7059,310295,3890,3046,48493,38713,311564,70,77785,104,7685,311565,263],"class_list":["post-1145717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spain","tag-ap-top-news","tag-astronomy","tag-business","tag-climate","tag-climate-and-environment","tag-eclipses","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-general-news","tag-government-and-politics","tag-iceland","tag-mikhail-gorbachev","tag-planets","tag-portugal","tag-reykjavik","tag-ronald-reagan","tag-rosa-celiberti","tag-science","tag-solar-eclipses","tag-spain","tag-spain-government","tag-veronica-orozco","tag-world-news"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/117086830282414586","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1145717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1145718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1145717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1145717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1145717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}