The path of totality
The shadow crosses the Atlantic into southern Spain, then continues through Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt before reaching Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. A much larger surrounding region sees a partial eclipse.
Greatest eclipse occurs near 25.5° north, 33.2° east in Egypt. The central duration there is about 6 minutes 23 seconds, with the Sun exceptionally high in the sky.
Leading destination regions
- Luxor and the Nile Valley for very long totality and a high Sun.
- Southern Spain for European transport links and shorter totality.
- Morocco for a balance of access, landscapes and strong duration.
- The Red Sea coast and western Saudi Arabia for long totality and generally dry summer conditions.
Key city times
Times are local to each city and rounded to the minute. Totality duration changes rapidly near the path edges.
| City | Begins | Maximum | Totality | Sun altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tangier | 08:40 | 09:46 | 4m 51s | 37.9° |
| Tetouan | 08:40 | 09:47 | about 4m 50s | 38.4° |
| Cádiz | 09:40 | 10:46 | 2m 54s | 37.4° |
| Málaga | 09:42 | 10:48 | 1m 54s | 39.3° |
| Gibraltar | 09:41 | 10:47 | about 4m 27s | 38.4° |
| Luxor | 11:40 | 13:05 | 6m 22s | 81.8° |
City-by-city planning guides
Each guide gives a direct local-time answer, exact reference coordinates, totality duration and a reproducible 2000 to 2025 ERA5 cloud sample for the three hours around eclipse maximum.
- Tangier: 4m 51s totality and coastal low-cloud context.
- Tetouan: nearly five minutes with terrain and access checks.
- Oujda: shorter totality where exact coordinates matter.
- Cádiz and Málaga: southern Spain timing and weather comparisons.
- Gibraltar: long totality, low-cloud and capacity considerations.
- Luxor: 6m 22s, very high Sun and severe heat planning.
Heat, logistics and capacity
Many of the clearest regions are extremely hot in August. Plan shade, water, medication and reliable transport before choosing a site.
Verify that hotels and events lie inside the path and ask for exact coordinates. A venue advertised as near the eclipse may still be outside totality.
How to choose between destinations
- Compare historical cloudiness, dust and haze, not only totality duration.
- Check immigration, road and site-access requirements early.
- Prefer a base with several reachable microclimates.
- Use local calculations for the exact observing point before booking.
Sources and methodology
Dates, paths and safety guidance use the references below. Local timings are rounded calculations for the stated reference points; recalculate your exact observing location.
- NASA GSFC: Besselian elements for 2 August 2027 ↗Greatest-eclipse coordinates, path width, maximum duration and calculation elements.
- NASA GSFC: 2021 to 2030 eclipse table ↗Date, eclipse type, magnitude and the countries crossed by the central path.
- ESA: 2 August 2027 global map ↗Independent visual check of the path across Spain, North Africa and Arabia.
- NASA: Eclipse eye safety ↗Protection rules before, during and after totality.