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The 40 Madrid municipalities where the solar eclipse will be fully visible
The Community of Madrid will offer an exceptional opportunity to see the total solar eclipse on 12 August without leaving the region. Although the phenomenon will be almost total in the capital, it will be in around forty northern municipalities where the Moon will completely conceal the Sun for a few seconds, making the day one of the century’s most eagerly anticipated astronomical events.
The best places to enjoy the spectacle are concentrated in the Sierra Norte and the north-east of the Madrid region. Municipalities such as Somosierra, Prádena del Rincón, Braojos, La Hiruela, Horcajuelo de la Sierra, Montejo de la Sierra, Gascones, Buitrago del Lozoya, Piñuécar-Gandullas and Berzosa del Lozoya will lie within the path of totality, where the eclipse may last from a few seconds to almost a minute and a half, depending on the location.
Other towns such as La Cabrera, El Molar, San Agustín del Guadalix, Colmenar Viejo, Tres Cantos, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Meco and Alcalá de Henares will also form part of that strip. In these municipalities, the Sun will disappear completely for a few moments, while in central Madrid a small illuminated edge will remain, with an obscuration close to 99.95%.
The Community of Madrid has prepared 52 official observation points throughout the territory, 40 of which are within the band of totality. Many will offer educational activities, distribution of approved glasses and special safety and mobility arrangements to manage the large influx of visitors expected on the afternoon of 12 August.
Experts recommend choosing elevated places with a completely clear western horizon, as the eclipse will occur shortly before sunset. They also advise checking the weather forecast in the preceding days, arriving sufficiently early to avoid traffic jams, and using glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 during all partial phases of the phenomenon. Only those within the path of totality may remove them during the brief seconds when the Sun is completely covered.
The 12 August eclipse will be the first fully visible from the Iberian Peninsula since 1905 and will make the north of the Community of Madrid one of the best places in Spain to observe it. The combination of mountain villages, natural viewpoints and an exceptional duration of the phenomenon will lead thousands of people to travel to this area to experience an event that will not be repeated with similar characteristics for many years.