Chiclana & Sancti Petri Total Eclipse
La Barrosa beach and Sancti Petri, with three and a half minutes of totality.
Chiclana de la Frontera is two places in one. There is the working town, a few kilometres inland on the salt marshes south of Cádiz. And there is the coast: La Barrosa, one of the longest beaches on the Costa de la Luz, with the old fishing village of Sancti Petri at its northern end and the hotels of Novo Sancti Petri at the southern end. Both are inside the path of totality on Monday 2 August 2027.
In the town the Sun is fully covered for 3 minutes 29 seconds, from 10:45:16 to 10:48:45 local time (CEST, UTC+2). That ranks 21st of the 43 places in Spain in our dataset. The coast does a little better, because it lies closer to the central line, which runs out at sea to the south. At Sancti Petri totality lasts 3m 34s, from 10:45:08 to 10:48:42, which ranks 19th. Further south along La Barrosa it grows again: about 3m 39s in the middle of the beach and about 3m 44s at Novo Sancti Petri.
So the beach wins by ten to fifteen seconds. It also has the sea, the space and the sky. The town has shade and cafes. For most visitors staying on the coast, the answer is simple: walk to the sand.
The eclipse from Chiclana & Sancti Petri, minute by minute
All times are CEST (UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027.
- 09:40 First contact The Moon takes its first bite out of the Sun’s edge. Nothing is visible without eclipse glasses. Put them on now.
- 10:45:16 Totality begins: second contact The last sliver breaks into Baily’s beads, then the diamond ring. When the ring goes out, glasses off.
- 10:47:00 Mid-eclipse Deepest darkness. The corona surrounds a black Sun 38° above the horizon; look for planets and the horizon glow.
- 10:48:45 Totality ends: third contact A second diamond ring flares on the opposite limb. Glasses back on the instant it appears.
- 11:59 Fourth contact The Moon leaves the Sun’s disc and the eclipse is over.
| Eclipse type | Total |
|---|---|
| Duration of totality | 3m 29s |
| Maximum obscuration | 100% |
| Eclipse magnitude | 1.011 |
| Sun’s altitude at maximum | 38° |
| Sun’s azimuth at maximum | 95° |
| Mid-eclipse (UTC) | 08:47:00 |
Chiclana & Sancti Petri 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 | 09:40:49 |
|---|---|
| Totality begins | 10:45:16 |
| Mid-eclipse | 10:47:00 |
| Totality ends | 10:48:45 |
| Duration of totality | 3m 29s |
| Partial eclipse ends | 11:59:49 |
| Distance to the central line | 82 km |
| Distance to the nearest edge (northern limit) | 36 km |
| Rank by duration | 21st 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 13 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 Chiclana & Sancti Petri. 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.
Chiclana & Sancti Petri 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, from the village to the resort
The Sun will be almost due east, at an azimuth of 95° and 38° above the horizon. La Barrosa faces the Atlantic to the west and south west, so the Sun will be behind you and to your left, above the pine woods and the low buildings behind the beach. At 38° nothing there can hide it unless you stand right at the foot of a wall. Choose on space, parking and how easily you can leave.
Sancti Petri village and the channel
The poblado of Sancti Petri was a tuna fishing village. Today it has a small marina, restaurants and boat trips along the channel. Offshore, on a rocky islet, stands the castle of Sancti Petri. It is a lovely setting for the long wait, with some shade and food nearby. Space is limited, and the road in is a single route through the pines, so arrive early. Totality here is 3m 34s.
La Barrosa beach
Kilometres of fine sand running south from Sancti Petri past Novo Sancti Petri. There is room for everyone, and the further south you walk, the longer totality gets, up to about 3m 44s at Novo Sancti Petri. There is no natural shade on the beach. Bring a parasol, water and a hat: the partial phase lasts more than two hours in an August sun.
Chiclana town
If you are staying in the town, there is no need to drive to the coast for fifteen seconds. Find an open square or the riverside by the Iro, check with eclipse glasses that no building blocks a Sun at 38°, and stay there. You get 3m 29s and a cafe nearby.
Beach or town?
Staying on the coast: watch from the beach. Staying in town: watch from town. Only the beach is worth a short drive, and only if you can be parked by about 08:30.
The eclipse morning: timings and traffic
Chiclana sits on the main corridor south from Cádiz. The A-48 dual carriageway runs past the town from San Fernando towards Conil and Vejer. On eclipse morning it will carry people from Cádiz, where totality is 2m 54s, and from Jerez, where it is only 1m 37s, heading south for more time. La Barrosa and Novo Sancti Petri are reached from the A-48 on local roads through the pines, and beach parking there fills early on any August day.
- 09:40:49: the partial eclipse begins in town (09:40:46 at Sancti Petri).
- Be parked by about 08:30 if you are driving to the beach.
- 10:45:16 to 10:48:45: totality in town, 3m 29s. At Sancti Petri, 10:45:08 to 10:48:42. Glasses off only in this window.
- 11:59:49: the partial eclipse ends.
- Do not leave at 10:49. The beach roads and the A-48 junctions will jam as everyone leaves together. Stay for lunch and drive in the afternoon.
Check the DGT live traffic map before you set out. For a full plan of the morning, use the eclipse day planner.
Getting there
- By air. Jerez is the closest airport, roughly 45 minutes by road in normal traffic. Seville has more flights and is a little under two hours away. Gibraltar and Málaga are further.
- By car. From Seville and Jerez, the AP-4 or A-4 south towards Cádiz, then the A-48 towards Algeciras. Spain drives on the right. A car is close to essential for the beach.
- By train and tram. Chiclana has no railway station. The nearest are San Fernando and Cádiz, on the line from Seville. A tram links Chiclana with San Fernando and Cádiz. Check timetables and stops well ahead.
- By bus. Interurban buses link Chiclana town and the coast with Cádiz and the towns around the bay. Summer services to the beach can change, so check locally.
Where to stay, by area
Novo Sancti Petri and La Barrosa
Large resort hotels, apartments and golf, set back from the southern half of the beach. This is where totality is longest, about 3m 44s, and you can walk onto the sand on eclipse morning without the car. Search Novo Sancti Petri for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Chiclana town
Hotels, guesthouses and apartments in the town. More choice and often lower prices, with 3m 29s of totality from any open square. Search Chiclana for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Backup base south: Conil
Conil de la Frontera, about 20 minutes south on the A-48, gets 4m 01s. If you sleep there, watch there. Search Conil for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Backup base inland: Medina Sidonia
Medina Sidonia, on its hill to the east, gets 3m 21s and sits in the grid cell with the better cloud record. It suits a quieter stay. Search Medina Sidonia for 1 to 3 August 2027.
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: the Atlantic side of the track
In our satellite data Chiclana shares its grid cell with Cádiz, Conil and Jerez. Between 26 July and 9 August, 2001 to 2024, 54% of days had a daily mean cloud cover under 20%, and 13% were half cloudy or worse. The typical day had 18% cloud. On 2 August itself, 13 of the 24 years were almost clear. That is decent, but it is one of the lower figures on the Spanish part of the track.
The figure is a daily mean over a cell about 100 km across. It cannot see local detail. On the Atlantic coast, though, the usual threat on a summer morning is low cloud or sea mist that comes in off the ocean and often burns off later. The cells just inland and to the south, around Medina Sidonia and Vejer, score 66%. If the coast wakes up grey on eclipse day, heading inland is the natural fix. Decide early, around 07:30, before the roads fill.
Check the AEMET forecast for Chiclana in the days before, and see our weather page for the comparison along the track.
Beyond the eclipse
- Sancti Petri. The old tuna village, the marina and boat trips along the channel towards the castle islet.
- The salt marshes. The Bay of Cádiz natural park wraps around the town, with salt pans and birdlife.
- La Barrosa at sunset. The beach faces west, so the Sun sets over the Atlantic.
- Cádiz, a short drive north, and the white towns of the province inland.
Compare with Cádiz, Conil, Vejer, Medina Sidonia and Barbate, or see every Spanish town side by side in our southern Spain eclipse guide.
Chiclana & Sancti Petri eclipse questions
How long is totality in Chiclana de la Frontera?
3 minutes 29 seconds in the town, from 10:45:16 to 10:48:45 CEST (UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027. The partial eclipse runs from 09:40:49 to 11:59:49.
Does Sancti Petri get more totality than Chiclana town?
Yes, a little. Sancti Petri gets 3m 34s, five seconds more than the town. Further south along La Barrosa it rises to about 3m 44s at Novo Sancti Petri, because the coast is closer to the central line.
Is it worth driving from Cádiz or Jerez to La Barrosa?
From Jerez, yes: it gets only 1m 37s, so La Barrosa roughly doubles your time. From Cádiz (2m 54s) the gain is under a minute. Either way, travel early and do not leave straight after totality.
What are the chances of a clear sky in Chiclana?
In satellite data for 26 July to 9 August, 2001 to 2024, 54% of days were almost clear and 13% were half cloudy or worse. On 2 August, 13 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
Conil de la Frontera
Long Atlantic beaches and four minutes of totality in a lively summer town.
Full guide → Total: 2m 54s Southern SpainCádiz
A 3,000-year-old port city inside the path, with trains, beaches and almost three minutes of totality.
Full guide → Total: 4m 06s Southern SpainVejer de la Frontera
A white hilltop town with a wide view east over the plain, and more than four minutes of totality.
Full guide →