Missed the last solar eclipse? Don’t worry darlings, on August 2, 2027, the skies will gift us another total solar eclipse stretching across the eastern Atlantic, through Spain, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula, before fading into the Indian Ocean. I am told by astronomers that nothing quite compares to standing inside the moon's shadow, watching twilight unfold in every direction at once, the air cooling, the birds falling silent, and stars appearing in the middle of the day. It is, by all accounts, the most powerful natural spectacle one can witness.
What makes this particular eclipse so special is its timing. It falls in midsummer across the Northern Hemisphere, and in certain locations along its path, darkness will linger for five to six minutes, the longest totality we will see for decades. Whether you choose to watch from the golden coastlines of Spain or from the deck of a ship gliding through the Atlantic, this is a moment worth building an entire journey around.
By Sea
The Atlantic
If you would like chase the path of totality by sea, the Atlantic offers the first and arguably most flexible vantage point, since captains can reposition ships toward clearer skies right up to the moment. Ships hovering near the center line off Morocco will enjoy over four minutes of darkness.
There is a lovely range of ways to experience it afloat. Virgin Voyages sails an adults only eleven night journey from Barcelona, with stops in Madeira and Tangier. With special guests to include NASA or Virgin Galactic astronauts. Departure: July 28.
For something more intimate, National Geographic ship Orion carries just over a hundred guests from the Azores to Barcelona, over a 12 night cruise stopping at less-visited Spanish spots such as Motril and the Columbretes Islands, an uninhabited wildlife reserve. Departure: July 28.
Atlas Ocean Voyages pairs the eclipse with astronomer Jonathan Ward who will provide enrichment lectures and photography tips leading up to the spectacle. The eight-night journey from Barcelona to Lisbon includes an overnight in Ibiza. Departure: July 27.
The single international gateway is Paro International Airport, served by Drukair and Bhutan Airlines with connections through Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, and Singapore, and the approach itself, threading between Himalayan peaks, is one of the most spectacular landings anywhere in the world.
The Alboran Sea
Darlings, the Alboran Sea, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, offers nearly five minutes of totality and a wonderful array of ships to watch it from.
Ponant offers two seven night voyages round trip from Lisbon. The Boréal will feature Smithsonian Institution’s James R. Zimbelman with the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies who will lead talks on board and the Lapérouse will have retired meteorologist and Hayden Planetarium-affiliated astronomer Joe Rao is one of the voyage’s guest speakers. The ships both traveling the same course, will call at some of the Iberian coast's lesser known ports. Departures: July 30 and 31
Eastern Mediterranean
Darlings, if there is one place at sea most likely to deliver clear skies and nearly six full minutes of totality, it is the eastern Mediterranean, south of Malta. A wonderful fleet will be gathered there.
For something intimate, SeaDream II’s megayacht carries just over a hundred guests from Valletta onward to Italy's smaller ports. Departure: August 1.
Windstar's beautiful five masted Wind Surf departs Athens for lesser known stops like Gozo and Gytheio over the nine night voyage. Departure: July 27.
Regent's Seven Seas Grandeur sails from Barcelona to Civitavecchia with calls along the Amalfi Coast and Sardinia over nine nights. Departure: July 29.
Seabourn Ovation departs Monte Carlo for a longer 14 day journey through Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and the Albanian Riviera, all building toward the eclipse itself. Departure: July 23.
However you choose to experience it, these stretches of sea promise one of the loveliest views of totality, each one is a beautiful way to meet the shadow of the moon.
By Land
Spain
Darlings, southern Spain offers a wonderful stretch of options as the shadow crosses from Morocco. Tarifa sees nearly four and a half minutes of totality, while just inland at Finca Cortesin in Casares, guests will enjoy almost four minutes from the grounds of a beautiful Andalusian estate with its own golf course. Along the Costa del Sol in Marbella, Puente Romano and Nobu Hotel Marbella each offer just over three minutes of darkness from the Golden Mile, with plenty to keep both couples and families entertained.
Further along in Málaga, totality shortens to just under two minutes, but the Gran Hotel Miramar makes a lovely base, with the Picasso Museum and the city's historic landmarks right on the doorstep.
Africa
On the eastern side of the Tangier Peninsula, the Moroccan Riviera presents another opportunity for viewing. Here, the forecast calls for almost five minutes of totality. The Rif Mountains and Mediterranean flank the 55-room Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, which should provide an uncrowded setting
For those who love a road less traveled, the eclipse track also crosses Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya before reaching its true crown jewel, Egypt. Just southeast of Luxor, totality stretches to an astonishing six minutes and twenty three seconds, the longest we will see for decades, and it passes directly over the temples and tombs of ancient Thebes itself.
Egypt has been booked for years by eclipse devotees, and Nile cruises are scarce in the summer heat, with midday temperatures near one hundred and five degrees. If you have your heart set on it, we are the experts to help for any last minute openings.
From there, the shadow crosses the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia, where Jeddah and the coastline just south of it offer nearly six minutes of darkness and remarkably clear August skies, before the eclipse finally slips away over Yemen and into the Indian Ocean at sunset.
LET US PLAN YOUR ECLIPSE JOURNEY
Whether you dream of standing beneath Luxor's ancient temples as the sky darkens for over six minutes, watching totality unfold from the deck of a private yacht in the Alboran Sea, or settling into a hilltop retreat on the Costa del Sol, the August 2027 eclipse offers a once in a generation reason to travel. If witnessing it is on your wish list, The Travel Collective would be delighted to design the journey around it.
