The Junta de Castilla y León announced this Tuesday the definitive list of 73 municipalities that will concentrate the recommended observation points for the total eclipse of the Sun scheduled for August 12th.
The announcement transforms the community into one of the main global destinations for the astronomical event, with a large flow of visitors expected from both Spain and abroad.
Municipalities with more than 20 thousand inhabitants, peri-urban and rural
The choice of the 73 locations is the result of a planning process coordinated in recent months between the Junta, the provincial diputaciones, the ayuntamientos and the Regional Federation of Municipalities and Provinces of Castilla y León. The objective is to guarantee an organized, safe and environmentally friendly observation while ensuring the normal provision of public services.
The network was set up based on voluntary requests from interested municipalities. The proposals underwent analysis by the Junta’s Territorial Delegations, in partnership with the larger diputaciones and ayuntamientos, before receiving final validation from the Eclipse 2026 Working Group.
Prioritize the municipality itself
The selection includes urban points in cities with more than 20 thousand inhabitants, peri-urban areas and rural locations, spread across the region’s nine provinces. The idea combines the reception capacity of large cities with the privileged conditions of visibility and tranquility of the interior, promoting a more balanced distribution of the public.
The Board advises that residents with suitable locations in their own municipality or nearby prioritize these options instead of long journeys. Only official points will be subject to planning and coordination by authorities. Any event outside this network will be the sole responsibility of the organizers.
The Presidency’s advisor, Luis Miguel González Gago, highlighted that the network is the result of a broad coordination effort between different levels of government to offer the best security guarantees to visitors.
Event of exceptional public interest
The eclipse was declared an event of exceptional public interest through Royal Decree-Law 12/2026, of May 26th. The measure paves the way for tax incentives provided for in Law 49/2002, which should facilitate the organization of cultural dissemination activities and investments related to the phenomenon.
This Tuesday, the Board activated a specific section on the institutional portal (jcyl.es/eclipse) with scientific explanations, programming of cultural activities, safety recommendations and health guidelines. The content will be updated in the coming weeks with details of observation points, tourist information and the delimitation of exclusion zones to protect natural areas.
Phenomenon planning
The Junta’s plan foresees a significant reinforcement of public services to deal with the expected increase in displacements and concentrations of people. The Castilla y León Civil Protection Plan (PLANCAL) is activated in Situation 2 in all provinces, which allows for greater coordination and early mobilization of resources.
Among the actions are the reinforcement of civil protection and emergencies, health services, mobility monitoring, management of access to points and coordination with the central government and city halls. Operational coordination centers will be set up in the days surrounding and on the day of the event to quickly respond to any incident.
One of the most important astronomical phenomena of the coming decades
González Gago stated that the region is prepared to host one of the most relevant astronomical events in the coming decades. The eclipse also represents an opportunity to project the natural, cultural and tourist heritage of Castilla y León internationally.