Almuñécar Total Eclipse
The Costa Tropical resort town, with almost two minutes of totality.
Almuñécar is the main resort town of the Costa Tropical, the short stretch of Granada’s coast between the Málaga border and Motril. The mountains rise steeply behind it, which keeps the climate mild enough for avocados, mangoes and custard apples. On Monday 2 August 2027 the town is inside the path of totality, close to its northern edge.
The Sun is fully covered for 1 minute 51 seconds, from 10:49:04 to 10:50:54 local time (CEST, UTC+2). That ranks 31st of the 43 places in Spain in our dataset. The northern edge of the path is about 9 km away and the central line 111 km to the south, far out at sea. The Sun will stand 40° high at an azimuth of 98°, east and a little south, over the sea.
That is a short totality, less than half of what the Strait of Gibraltar gets. It is still a real total eclipse, and it matters a great deal for one reason: Granada is outside the path. In the city the eclipse reaches 99.22%, and the sky never goes fully dark. The nearest totality to Granada is down here, on the coast.
The eclipse from Almuñécar, minute by minute
All times are CEST (UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027.
- 09:42 First contact The Moon takes its first bite out of the Sun’s edge. Nothing is visible without eclipse glasses. Put them on now.
- 10:49:04 Totality begins: second contact The last sliver breaks into Baily’s beads, then the diamond ring. When the ring goes out, glasses off.
- 10:49:59 Mid-eclipse Deepest darkness. The corona surrounds a black Sun 40° above the horizon; look for planets and the horizon glow.
- 10:50:54 Totality ends: third contact A second diamond ring flares on the opposite limb. Glasses back on the instant it appears.
- 12:03 Fourth contact The Moon leaves the Sun’s disc and the eclipse is over.
| Eclipse type | Total |
|---|---|
| Duration of totality | 1m 51s |
| Maximum obscuration | 100% |
| Eclipse magnitude | 1.003 |
| Sun’s altitude at maximum | 40° |
| Sun’s azimuth at maximum | 98° |
| Mid-eclipse (UTC) | 08:49:59 |
Almuñécar in numbers
Every contact to the second, where the town sits in the path, and how often early August has been clear here.
| Partial eclipse begins | 09:42:40 |
|---|---|
| Totality begins | 10:49:04 |
| Mid-eclipse | 10:49:59 |
| Totality ends | 10:50:54 |
| Duration of totality | 1m 51s |
| Partial eclipse ends | 12:03:49 |
| Distance to the central line | 111 km |
| Distance to the nearest edge (northern limit) | 9 km |
| Rank by duration | 31st of 43 places in Spain in our dataset |
Chance of a clear sky
Period: 26 July to 9 August of every year from 2001 to 2024. The bars show the daily mean cloud cover on 2 August of each year: the taller the bar, the more cloud. On 14 of those 24 days the sky was almost clear.
under 20% 20 to 50% 50% or more
Source: NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg satellite data), daily mean cloud amount for the 1° grid cell (about 100 km) around Almuñécar. It is an average over the whole day and a large area, so it cannot see a sea fog on one beach or the cloud at the hour of the eclipse. It is climatology, not a forecast.
Almuñécar on the eclipse map
The gold band is the path of totality. Click anywhere to test a spot of your own; a few kilometres genuinely matters.
Where to watch along the Costa Tropical
Along this coast the northern edge of the path runs close to the shore. Totality changes slowly as you move along the coast, and it drops quickly as you go inland. The rule is simple: watch from the seafront or a beach, not from the hills behind.
Almuñécar seafront
The town has several beaches either side of the rocky headland of the Peñón del Santo, including San Cristóbal to the west and Puerta del Mar in front of the old town. They face south, with the Sun to your left over the sea. Promenades, cafes and some shade are close by. Totality here is 1m 51s.
The Peñón del Santo
The rocky viewpoint between the beaches, with views along the coast. It is small and will fill early, but the view east over the sea is open.
La Herradura
West of Almuñécar, a horseshoe bay between two headlands, Punta de la Mona and Cerro Gordo, known for diving and water sports. Totality is about 1m 52s, practically the same as in Almuñécar. The beach faces south, so the Sun will be on your left, well above the eastern headland. There is room along the whole bay.
Salobreña
East of Almuñécar, the white town of Salobreña climbs a rock crowned by its castle, above a long beach. Totality is 1m 45s, from 10:49:14 to 10:50:59. Watch from the beach, not the castle: the extra height gains nothing, and the beach has more space.
Near the edge: what it means
Near the edge of the path the Moon only just covers the Sun. Totality is short, but the beads of sunlight shining through the valleys on the Moon’s rim, the Baily’s beads, and the pink glow of the chromosphere last longer than on the central line. The corona still appears. Near the edge, predictions are also less exact: the real times can differ by a few seconds from any calculation.
With under two minutes, plan to look rather than photograph. If you want the long totality, the Bay of Gibraltar has more than four minutes, but it is a long drive west on a busy day. Move the day before, or stay here and enjoy one of the clearest skies on the track.
The eclipse morning
- 09:42:40: the partial eclipse begins.
- 10:49:04 to 10:50:54: totality, 1m 51s. Glasses off only in this window.
- 12:03:49: the partial eclipse ends.
The main risk on this coast is traffic from Granada. Many people from the city and its province will come down to the coast for totality, on the A-44 from Granada and then the A-7. If you drive in that day, be parked by about 09:00. If you are staying on the coast, walk. Do not leave at 10:51: stay for lunch and drive in the afternoon. Check the DGT live traffic map before you set out, and read our eye safety guide.
Getting there
- By air. Málaga airport is roughly an hour and a quarter away by road in normal traffic, Granada airport roughly an hour.
- By car. The A-7 motorway runs along the coast from Málaga through Nerja to Almuñécar and Motril. From Granada, the A-44 south to the coast, then the A-7 west. Spain drives on the right.
- By bus. Buses link Almuñécar with Granada, Málaga and the towns along the coast. There is no railway.
Where to stay
Almuñécar
The biggest choice of hotels and apartments on the Costa Tropical, most within walking distance of a beach. Search Almuñécar for 1 to 3 August 2027.
La Herradura
A smaller, quieter base on its own bay, with 1m 52s of totality. Search La Herradura for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Salobreña
A smaller town with a beach and 1m 45s of totality. Search Salobreña for 1 to 3 August 2027.
If everything here is full, Nerja, 20 minutes west, gets 1m 42s.
These are plain search links, not affiliate links. We do not quote prices, which change daily. Where you can, book a rate with free cancellation.
Weather: one of the better cells
In our satellite data Almuñécar shares its grid cell with Nerja, Salobreña and Motril. Between 26 July and 9 August, 2001 to 2024, 72% of days were almost clear, with under 20% cloud. Only 8% were half cloudy or worse, and the typical day had 12% cloud. On 2 August itself, 14 of the 24 years were almost clear. That is one of the best figures on the Spanish part of the track.
The figures are daily means over cells about 100 km across, so treat them as a regional comparison, not a forecast. Check the AEMET forecast in the days before, and see our weather page.
Beyond the eclipse
- The Castle of San Miguel, above the old town, with views over the coast.
- Roman Almuñécar. The remains of a Roman fish salting factory in the El Majuelo botanical park, and sections of a Roman aqueduct around the town.
- Diving at La Herradura and the protected cliffs of Cerro Gordo.
- Salobreña castle and its old town on the rock.
- Granada and the Alhambra, about an hour inland, for the days before or after.
Compare with Nerja and Cabo de Gata, or see every Spanish town side by side in our southern Spain eclipse guide.
Almuñécar eclipse questions
How long is totality in Almuñécar?
1 minute 51 seconds, from 10:49:04 to 10:50:54 CEST (UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027. The partial eclipse runs from 09:42:40 to 12:03:49.
Can I see the total eclipse from Granada?
No. Granada is outside the path and sees a 99.22% partial eclipse. The nearest totality is on the coast: 1m 51s in Almuñécar, 1m 45s in Salobreña and Motril.
Is La Herradura better than Almuñécar?
For the eclipse they are practically the same: about 1m 52s in La Herradura and 1m 51s in Almuñécar. Choose on where you are staying.
What are the chances of a clear sky on the Costa Tropical?
In satellite data for 26 July to 9 August, 2001 to 2024, 72% of days were almost clear and 8% were half cloudy or worse. On 2 August, 14 of 24 years were almost clear.
Sources
- Our sources and methodology: how the times, durations and cloud figures on this page are made.
- NASA eclipse map for 2 August 2027 (Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC).
- Xavier Jubier’s interactive map, with lunar limb corrections.
- NASA POWER, the source of the cloud climatology.
- Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), the official Spanish eclipse page, with times for every municipality.
- AEMET municipal forecast, the official Spanish weather service.
- DGT live traffic, for road conditions on the morning.
Compare with nearby options
Nerja
Cliffs, coves and the Balcony of Europe, close to the northern edge of the path.
Full guide → Total: 1m 50s Southern SpainMálaga
A major airport city just inside the northern edge of the path.
Full guide → Total: 2m 01s Southern SpainCabo de Gata
Volcanic coast and the driest skies in Europe, with two minutes of totality.
Full guide →