Regional governments along the eclipse path across Spain – offering the best views of the solar event in mainland Europe – are seeking to corral an expected influx of 6 million people by designating 660 official viewing sites, along with parking and camping areas.
More than 35,000 officers will be deployed in a security operation to minimise the risks – such as fires caused by dropped cigarettes – linked to large gatherings in natural areas, Virginia Barcones, secretary-general for Civil Protection and Emergencies at Spain’s Interior Ministry, told Reuters.
“We’ve had an extremely tough summer in Spain, with yet another series of major forest fires. That’s why we must restrict any kind of activity that could generate a spark,” Barcones said.
Some residents of small towns have launched their own public awareness campaigns urging visitors to avoid sensitive natural areas.
In Buitrago de Lozoya, a town of 2,000 residents north of Madrid, local group Monte en Pie (Keeping Woodlands Alive) staged a protest against events planned near forests.
The nearby town of Tres Cantos cancelled all eclipse-day events because of wildfire risks, though around 3,000 people – including Madrid’s regional leaders – are still expected at an observation site near Buitrago.
Monte en Pie argues that while the eclipse will last only a few minutes, the damage caused by a major wildfire could endure for decades.
“We are in a high wildfire-risk area. Barbecues and the use of machinery are prohibited because the countryside is extremely dry … The more people there are, the greater the danger,” said Ana Hernandez, the group’s leader.
Authorities estimate around 1.5 million people including tourists could be on the roads during the day, travelling to rural northwestern and central Spain that is along the total eclipse’s path.
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Tourists sunbathe in El Arenal beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, May 25, 2024. Photo by Reuters |
National and local authorities have launched public awareness campaigns, warning in local and social media and in visitors’ forums online against parking in unauthorized areas, littering, using barbecues or venturing into fire-prone countryside.
Fire risks do not however appear to be deterring astro-tourists.
Travel platform Booking.com reported foreign searches more than tripled in inland cities such as Burgos and Soria, while Amadeus travel data showed bookings to the northern region of Asturias were up 292% from a year earlier.
Around 70% of Spain’s rental motorhomes, camper vans and caravans, around 500,000 vehicles, have already been booked for the eclipse period, industry association ASEICAR said.
Spain expects this total solar eclipse to generate €347.6 million (US$401 million) in net economic benefits and attract 446,700 additional tourists, according to its government estimate.
Spain welcomed 96.8 million tourists in 2025, a record high and an increase of 3.2% compared with the previous year, making it the world’s second-most-visited country after France.
During the first six months of 2026, 46.57 million international visitors arrived in Spain, 4.6% more than during the same period last year.