Next August, Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East will experience an unusually long solar eclipse. Here are the best locations to watch it – don’t forget your eclipse glasses
If you missed this summer’s solar eclipse, don’t worry – there’s an even bigger one lined up for next summer.
On August 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will cross the Eastern Hemisphere, tracing a narrow path of totality across 10 countries spanning Southern Europe, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Within this corridor, which stretches roughly 258 kilometres wide, the peak duration of totality (the brief window when the Moon completely blocks the face of the Sun) will last an exceptionally long six minutes and 23 seconds near Luxor, Egypt, making it one of the longest land-based solar eclipses of the century.
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Unfortunately, the eclipse won’t be visible from the UK. But if you are planning to head abroad to catch it, here are some of the best locations along the path of totality:
Tarifa, Spain
While Spanish cities Málaga and Cádiz are also an option, Tarifa sits further south and right on the Strait of Gibraltar, giving you a significantly longer duration of totality (around four minutes and 39 seconds, compared to Málaga – under two minutes).
Gibraltar
The entire British Overseas Territory lies in the path of the eclipse, but heading up to Upper Rock Nature Reserve reserve offers an elevated, panoramic vantage point over the strait (just watch out for the local cloud microclimate).
Tangier, Morocco
As the shadow makes landfall in North Africa, Tangier coastal views and four minutes and 50 seconds of totality.
Oran, Algeria
This major coastal city high-altitude vantage points nearby, and over five minutes of totality.
The Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia
Just off the coast of Sfax on Tunisia’s eastern coast, these flat, low-lying islands offer unobstructed horizon views across the Mediterranean and five minutes and 44 seconds of totality.
Luxor, Egypt
This is widely considered the overall best spot on earth for this eclipse. It sits right near the point of maximum duration (over six minutes and 19 seconds of totality), offers a near-zero chance of clouds in August, and lets you view the phenomenon directly over ancient temples such as Karnak and the Valley of the Kings.
