2027 Solar Eclipse Path: Where to See Totality on 2 August
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The Moon’s shadow makes landfall in Morocco, crosses the Strait of Gibraltar into southern Spain, then runs the length of North Africa to Luxor, Egypt, where totality lasts 6 minutes 22 seconds.
It is the longest total solar eclipse visible from land until 2114. Roughly 89 million people live inside the path, across ten countries.
If you are going to travel for one eclipse in your lifetime, this is a strong candidate for it. Long totality, good weather odds, and — unusually — a path that runs through places with airports, roads and hotels rather than open ocean or tundra.
This page covers where the shadow goes, how the viewing sites compare, and what you actually need to take. The gear question has one hard rule attached, so it comes first.
The one rule that is not negotiable
Before and after totality you are looking at the ordinary Sun, and it will blind you. Permanent retinal damage takes seconds and is painless.
- Certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2) for naked-eye viewing during every partial phase.
- A full-aperture filter over the FRONT of any telescope, binoculars or camera lens. Never an eyepiece filter, and never eclipse glasses held in front of optics.
- During totality only — when the Sun’s disc is completely covered — filters come off and you look with the naked eye. That is the whole point, and it is safe for exactly that window.
- Filters go back on the instant the first sliver reappears. Watch the clock; do not judge it by eye.
- Buy from vendors who state the ISO standard and can be traced. Counterfeit glasses were a documented problem around the 2024 eclipse.
Full detail in our solar filter guide, which covers what to buy and the inspection routine to run before every use.
The path, in order
| Where | Totality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco (Atlantic coast, Tangier region) | 4 min 51 s (Tangier) | First landfall; longer than anywhere in mainland Spain |
| Gibraltar area (Tarifa, Algeciras), Spain | 4 min 28 s (Gibraltar) | Longest on the Spanish side of the strait. Tarifa and Algeciras sit beside it; we have not verified their individual figures |
| Cádiz | 2 min 56 s | Easy access, heavy crowds expected, noticeably shorter than Gibraltar |
| Málaga | 1 min 57 s | Best infrastructure on the Spanish path, but totality is short here; Marbella is closer to Gibraltar (check the figure for your exact spot) |
| Algeria, Tunisia, Libya | about 5 min 8 s (Oran) to 5 min 41 s (Sfax) | Excellent weather odds, fewer visitors |
| Luxor, Egypt | 6 min 22 s | Greatest eclipse. Extreme August heat |
| Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia | Jeddah 5 min 53 s, then decreasing | Path exits over the Indian Ocean |
The path is about 258 km wide at its broadest (durations above: Wikipedia’s city table for the 2027 eclipse, read 30 Sep 2026; NASA and Xavier Jubier’s maps give the exact figures for your spot). Being inside it is binary: a few kilometres outside the edge and you get a 99% partial eclipse, which is a completely different and vastly inferior experience. There is no partial credit in eclipse chasing.
Spain or Egypt? An honest comparison
| Southern Spain | Egypt / Libya | |
|---|---|---|
| Totality | About 2 to 4.5 minutes, depending on where (Cádiz 2:56, Gibraltar 4:28) | Up to 6m22s |
| Getting there | Easy — budget flights, hire cars, hotels | Harder, usually an organised tour |
| Weather odds | Good, but Saharan dust can haze the sky | Excellent — among the best ever for a major eclipse |
| Heat | Hot August, manageable | Extreme — can exceed 40 °C |
| Crowds | Very heavy. Book far ahead | Lighter outside the tour hubs |
| Taking equipment | Simple, and you can buy anything you forgot | Customs can be strict — travel light |
Our read: if this is your first total eclipse, southern Spain is the sensible choice. Near the strait you get about four and a half minutes, which is an enormous amount of totality (most eclipses give you two), but it falls off quickly toward the path’s edges: Cádiz gets just under three and Málaga under two. So choose your spot by the totality figure, not just by the hotel. Ease of access means your energy goes into the experience rather than the logistics. Egypt is for people who have done this before and want the maximum, and who are comfortable with the heat and the travel.
One tactical note either way: stay mobile. The single biggest risk is one cloud in the wrong place. Chasers hire a car, watch the forecast for the final 48 hours, and are prepared to drive an hour on the morning itself. Booking a fixed viewing spot months ahead and hoping is the approach that gets people rained on.
What to take
An eclipse is one of the few astronomical events where less equipment is better. Totality lasts minutes. Spend them fumbling with a telescope and you will have photographed an eclipse without having seen one. Every experienced chaser says the same thing about their first: watch it, do not shoot it.
The realistic list:
- Certified eclipse glasses, one pair per person and a few spares — or a bulk pack if you are travelling with a group. People always turn up without them.
- Binoculars for totality — unfiltered, during totality only. The corona through 7×50 binoculars is, for many people, the single best view of the whole event, better than any telescope.
- A front filter if you bring any optics for the partial phases: a ready-made universal filter, or solar film if you are making one. Two filters for binoculars, one per objective.
- A phone adapter if you want a record without sacrificing the view — a three-axis mount set up during the partial phase and then left alone.
- A red light for the sudden darkness. A small red torch saves a lot of scrabbling in bags when the temperature and light drop together.
- Water, a hat, and sun protection. You will be standing in the August sun for over two hours before anything interesting happens.
What actually happens, minute by minute
- First contact. A notch appears on the Sun’s edge. Nothing else changes for a long time — this is the boring hour, and it is normal.
- The last 20 minutes. Light goes strange and metallic, colours desaturate, and the temperature drops noticeably. Shadows sharpen dramatically. Look under a tree for crescent-shaped dapples.
- The last minute. Shadow bands may ripple across pale ground. The western horizon darkens as the shadow arrives at over 2,000 km/h.
- Diamond ring, then totality. Filters off. The corona appears — pearl-white, structured, and far larger than photographs suggest. Bright stars and planets come out. The horizon glows an odd sunset orange in every direction.
- Second diamond ring. Filters back on immediately. Everyone cheers, and then a lot of people quietly start planning the next one.
A planning timeline
- Now to late 2026: decide the country and book accommodation. Prices inside the path in Andalusia will climb steeply and availability will vanish.
- Early 2027: book flights. Buy eclipse glasses and any filters early — supply tightened badly in the weeks before the 2024 eclipse, and late buyers are exactly who counterfeiters target.
- Spring 2027: practise. Fit the filter, find the Sun, take a test photo. Doing this for the first time on the day is how people miss it.
- Final week: watch the forecast and keep the car keys handy.
- The day: be in position hours early. Roads inside the path will be difficult.
Common questions
When exactly is the 2027 total solar eclipse?
Monday 2 August 2027. Totality reaches Tangier around 09:47 and southern Spain around 10:47 local time, and Luxor around 13:05 local time. Check a precise local-time calculator for your chosen spot closer to the date.
Where in Spain can I see totality?
The path crosses the south of Andalusia. Totality figures (Wikipedia’s table for the eclipse, 30 Sep 2026): Gibraltar 4 min 28 s, Cádiz 2 min 56 s, Málaga 1 min 57 s, with maximum around 10:47 local time. Tarifa, Algeciras and Ronda are inside the path but we have not verified their own figures; look up your exact spot on a path calculator before booking. Madrid is outside the path and gets only a partial eclipse.
Is 99% as good as totality?
No, and it is not close. At 99% the sky stays daylight-bright, the corona is invisible and you must keep filters on the whole time. The difference between 99% and 100% is the difference between reading about it and being there.
Do I need a telescope?
No. Eclipse glasses for the partial phases and binoculars during totality outperform a telescope for a first-timer, and leave you free to actually watch. See our binocular guide.
Can I look at it without protection during totality?
Yes, during totality only — that is the one moment the Sun’s disc is fully covered, and the corona is far too faint to harm you. Protection goes back on the instant any part of the disc reappears.
When is the next one after this?
Spain gets an annular eclipse on 26 January 2028, and Australia and New Zealand get a total on 22 July 2028. See the full list on our astronomy events calendar.
What to read next
- Best Solar Filter for a Telescope — what to buy and how to check it is still safe.
- Best Binoculars for Stargazing — the best instrument for totality.
- Best Smartphone Telescope Adapter — if you want a record.
- Astronomy Events Calendar — every eclipse and meteor shower to 2030.
Also read: Solar eclipse glasses: how to tell a safe pair (ISO 12312-2).
Affiliate disclosure: AstroGear Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product mentions are editorial choices, not paid placements. We do not quote prices or star ratings because both change daily. For solar equipment specifically, verify the ISO 12312-2 certification on the listing itself before buying — do not rely on any page, including this one. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
