Solar Eclipse in ’26: What to Know, Where to Go

A total solar eclipse will cross Iceland, Greenland, Spain, and Portugal on August 12, 2026. Whether by Arctic cruise or road trip, it’s a rare chance to pair celestial wonder with European adventure. Help protect your trip with Generali Global Assistance.

You might be in the dark about this (caution: pun ahead), but there’s a solar eclipse coming to Iceland, Greenland, Portugal, and parts of Spain in 2026.

At long last, this is your opportunity to say to your partner, “Hey, you wanna catch the solar eclipse?” as a pretext for visiting some places you always wanted to visit.

Here’s what you need to know about the path of the next solar eclipse, along with some travel suggestions.

When is this big solar eclipse?

According to the National Solar Observatory, the solar eclipse is scheduled to occur Aug. 12, 2026, and trace a path from the Arctic Circle through eastern Greenland, skirting the Icelandic coast, and arcing down to Valladolid and Madrid, Spain, before passing over the Balearic Islands.

The most intense effect will be off the Icelandic coast. There will be limited effects in the U.K. and continental Europe.

What do I need to know about visiting the various solar-eclipse viewing areas?

Greenland

Greenland is hot right now but it’s also hot in terms of popularity. It’s especially favored by people who choose destinations based on double letters and want to get the A’s out of the way.

Most of Greenland’s visitable villages are away from the eclipse’s optimal path, so you’ll have to get creative with your transportation to reach Milne Land, where the eclipse is most intense.

Alternatively, you can take an Arctic cruise. The Arctic cruises are (caution: pun ahead) pretty cool, and are being offered by some of the big names: HX/Hurtigruten, Lindblad, Celebrity, Holland America, and Seabourn.

You can choose short cruises out of Reykjavik or longer cruises from Dover; either way, you’re guaranteed a luxurious front seat for the festivities.

Iceland

Note the info on cruises above and how it applies to Iceland.

If you’d like a little less fanfare, or you want to cross Iceland off your list, fly from the East Coast, rent a vehicle, and head north to the Akranes area for prime eclipse viewing.

In most other countries this is as simple as it sounds; in Iceland, because of the paucity of paved roads, it’s more of a challenge.

For maximum darkness and a minimum of fellow humans your plan should be to rent a Toyota Land Cruiser in Reykjavik and then drive north on what the Icelanders humorously call “roads” to Akranes. Give yourself much more time than you think you need.

Do this and you’ll get all the adventure of one of those fancy Arctic cruises at a fraction of the cost.

Spain

It’s a safe bet that most of the jet-setting eclipse-watchers will be focused on Spain.

While peak viewing is near Reykjavik, northern Spain is still going to get a healthy eclipse experience.

If you want to view the eclipse on land, your best bet is to fly to Madrid, rent a car and head to Gijon in the Asturias region. It’s a beautiful part of the country few tourists see, so think of it as your opportunity to explore beyond the Madrid-Barcelona-Seville triangle.

If you want to see the eclipse over water, you can take your pick of total-eclipse cruises from lines like Princess, Ponant, Cunard, Holland America, and Seabourn.

Departure ports range from Rome to Athens to Dover, and viewing areas range from the northeastern Spanish coast to the Balearic Sea.

These cruises usually sell out far in advance, so if this sounds like a great excuse to see western Europe, better jump on them soon.

Portugal

The only reason to do an eclipse trip to Portugal is because you want to see Portugal – which is totally legit.

Viana do Castelo is the only Portuguese town close to the path of totality, but the solar eclipse is partial there, meaning a car ride along Spain’s north coast to Luarca or Gijon is in order – again, not a bad thing whatsoever.

The upside to this is when the eclipse is over you’re in Portugal, and ready to explore Porto and the other highlights of this country’s northern region.

How do you stay safe when viewing an eclipse?

Scientists once recommended viewing an eclipse through smoked glass or a photo negative, but since those have gone the way of the powdered wig, you’ll have to make alternate arrangements.

The eclipse is the perfect time to haul out that 14-shade-level welder’s mask you’ve been using as end-table décor. But assuming that’s already in use, you can invest in a pair of eclipse-viewing glasses. Your local bin store may still have some kicking around from the 2024 U.S. eclipse, but if they don’t, the online bin store known as Amazon does.

Just as with your welder’s mask, a 14-shade rating is optimal for eclipse viewing.

No matter where you travel to (air quotes) see the eclipse, you need to help protect that trip with travel protection plus assistance services from Generali Global Assistance.

There’s a Generali Global Assistance plan to help cover your solar-eclipse travels as well as your March trip to Australia to see the lunar eclipse.

Why wait? Get a quote today.