Millions crowd cities to see Spain’s first total solar eclipse in over a century

A total solar eclipse is seen from Berlanga de Duero [AP Photo]

Millions of people packed cities and towns across Spain on Wednesday (early yesterday, Macau time) to witness the country’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century, as the moon briefly blocked the sun and plunged parts of the country into darkness.

Crowds carrying lawn chairs and umbrellas gathered hours before the early evening spectacle. As daylight faded, slowly at first and then rapidly, spectators applauded and cheered.

“It’s simply impossible to imagine,” said Rosa Celiberti, a language teacher watching from Medinaceli, a Roman-era hilltop town in northeastern Spain. “No matter how many photos or videos you’ve seen, nothing comes even close to what it actually feels like.”

Millions across a broad band of northern and central Spain and Portugal enjoyed some of mainland Europe’s best views. The eclipse also crossed parts of Greenland and Iceland.

Totality, when the moon completely covers the sun, lasted less than 2½ minutes, reaching its longest duration off Iceland’s west coast. By the time it reached Portugal and Spain shortly before sunset, totality lasted about a minute before ending over the Mediterranean.

Spanish authorities expected at least 500,000 additional visitors. Hotel demand surged along the path of totality, including in A Coruña, Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela.

The spectacle unfolded amid scorching temperatures and wildfires, prompting a major public safety operation. Temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius in many viewing areas. Authorities established about 350 official observation sites across Spain’s sparsely populated interior, while more than 33,500 law enforcement officers were deployed.

The precautions came only weeks after Spain’s most destructive wildfire on record burned 500 square kilometers and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate in Ávila, central Spain. Several smaller fires remained active in regions as eclipse visitors arrived.

Special eclipse glasses, designed to block solar radiation that can damage the eyes, sold rapidly. Pharmacies and retailers across Spain reported shortages before Wednesday.

In Iceland, clouds and rain failed to deter hundreds who gathered outside Reykjavík’s Hallgrímskirkja church. The sun was barely visible through the clouds before darkness suddenly descended. Spectators cheered as the lights went out and roared again when daylight returned.

Off eastern Greenland, the MS Spitsbergen maneuvered through Rypefjord as its captain searched for clear skies for 126 passengers. The eclipse provided a dramatic interruption to the continuous Arctic daylight experienced during their 17-day cruise.

Hotel prices also soared. Rooms in Reykjavík averaged more than $1,000 for Wednesday night, roughly double 2025 rates, according to Lighthouse Intelligence. Iceland expected up to 20,000 foreign visitors during an already busy peak tourism period.

In Britain, where more than 90% of the sun was obscured in some areas, crowds gathered on hills and in parks for the country’s best eclipse since 1999.

At Greenwich Park in London, the sky turned an eerie gray as a thin sliver of sunlight remained above the moon. Veronica Orozco opened champagne with neighbors while watching her second eclipse.

Aja Lilit, who had turned 24 the previous day, described the spectacle as a “birthday present from the universe.”

The rare celestial event, she said, was also a reminder of how small humans are on a “cosmic level.” MDT/AP