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The 23 official places to watch the total eclipse in Catalonia
Catalonia is preparing for the solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August with 23 official viewing sites across 18 municipalities. They will be free, have combined capacity for around 50,000 people and be concentrated mainly in Terres de l’Ebre, Camp de Tarragona and Ponent.
The south of the region will offer the fullest experience. In some counties of Tarragona, the Moon will completely cover the Sun for around a minute and a half, although the Sun’s low position above the horizon will make it necessary to choose open spaces with no mountains, trees or buildings in front.
Barcelona will be outside the path of totality, but will be able to observe a very deep partial eclipse. The phenomenon will unfold approximately between 19:30 and 21:00, right at sunset, so west-facing viewpoints will be the most suitable.
Montjuïc Castle will extend its opening hours and organise a special event to watch the eclipse from one of the city’s elevated locations. Even so, those who want to experience total darkness will have to travel to the designated areas in the south of Catalonia.
The selected spaces include the Alcanar bullring, the Font del Mirador de Altafulla, the L’Oriola industrial estate in Amposta, the Pla de Camarles, the Cooperativa Agrícola de Cambrils and the Magraners football ground in Lleida. There will also be locations in Reus, Tarragona, Valls, Torredembarra, Gandesa and L’Ametlla de Mar.
The Generalitat will distribute 150,000 certified eclipse glasses to reduce the risk of eye injuries. Conventional sunglasses, X-ray films, smoked glass and homemade filters are not suitable, and cameras, binoculars or telescopes must not be used without solar protection fitted in front of the lens either.
The arrangements will include additional security and transport measures in anticipation of the arrival of thousands of people. People are advised to plan their journey with plenty of time to spare, avoid stopping on road verges and not improvise viewing spots on roads, private fields or sensitive natural areas.
The afternoon will offer two very different experiences: Barcelona will see the light dim to an extraordinary degree, while the south of Catalonia will fall completely dark for a few moments. The choice of location, visibility of the horizon and eye protection will make the difference at an event that will not occur again in the region for generations.