Half a million visitors gather for Spain's total solar eclipse
Around half a million extra visitors flocked to Spain's path of totality, with clear skies allowing views in towns including Medinaceli and Getxo. The event coincided with a heatwave and wildfires across the country.
In the hilltop town of Medinaceli in north-eastern Spain, spectators arrived hours ahead of time, bringing chairs, hats and eclipse glasses to claim a good vantage point before totality arrived shortly before sunset.
The path of totality also passed through Getxo, a coastal town in the Basque Country just north-west of Bilbao. There, the Moon fully blocked the Sun for only a few seconds at around 20:27 CEST, with the Sun sitting just 8 degrees above the western horizon.
Totality lasted roughly one minute across Spain before the eclipse continued on towards the Mediterranean. Farther north, off the west coast of Iceland, the total phase lasted just under 2.5 minutes — the longest recorded anywhere along the path.
Crowds strain local services
Spanish authorities had anticipated at least 500,000 additional visitors travelling along the eclipse route, putting extra strain on hotels and local infrastructure.
The eclipse arrived as Spain was already grappling with intense summer heat and wildfires, prompting officials to roll out a large-scale public safety campaign.
