Estepona Total Eclipse
The first Costa del Sol town inside the path, with well over three and a half minutes.
Estepona is the western end of the Costa del Sol, a working town with a whitewashed old centre, a marina and a long seafront promenade. On Monday 2 August 2027 it sits well inside the path of totality. For 3 minutes 37 seconds, from 10:46:20 to 10:49:58 local time (CEST, UTC+2), the Sun is completely covered.
That ranks 18th of the 43 places in Spain in our dataset. The central line runs over the sea 79 km to the south, and the northern edge of the path is 39 km away. Along the Costa del Sol, totality gets shorter the further east you go. Estepona has 20 seconds more than Marbella and 1m 47s more than Málaga. Heading west, Sotogrande has 4m 05s.
That makes Estepona a sensible base. It is the last big town on the Costa del Sol before the Bay of Gibraltar, so it has plenty of rooms, and its totality is long enough that driving somewhere else that morning is rarely worth the traffic.
The eclipse from Estepona, minute by minute
All times are CEST (UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027.
- 09:41 First contact The Moon takes its first bite out of the Sun’s edge. Nothing is visible without eclipse glasses. Put them on now.
- 10:46:20 Totality begins: second contact The last sliver breaks into Baily’s beads, then the diamond ring. When the ring goes out, glasses off.
- 10:48:09 Mid-eclipse Deepest darkness. The corona surrounds a black Sun 39° above the horizon; look for planets and the horizon glow.
- 10:49:58 Totality ends: third contact A second diamond ring flares on the opposite limb. Glasses back on the instant it appears.
- 12:01 Fourth contact The Moon leaves the Sun’s disc and the eclipse is over.
| Eclipse type | Total |
|---|---|
| Duration of totality | 3m 37s |
| Maximum obscuration | 100% |
| Eclipse magnitude | 1.012 |
| Sun’s altitude at maximum | 39° |
| Sun’s azimuth at maximum | 96° |
| Mid-eclipse (UTC) | 08:48:09 |
Estepona 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 | 09:41:28 |
|---|---|
| Totality begins | 10:46:20 |
| Mid-eclipse | 10:48:09 |
| Totality ends | 10:49:58 |
| Duration of totality | 3m 37s |
| Partial eclipse ends | 12:01:27 |
| Distance to the central line | 79 km |
| Distance to the nearest edge (northern limit) | 39 km |
| Rank by duration | 18th 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 18 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 Estepona. 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.
Estepona 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 in Estepona
At totality the Sun is 39° above the horizon, almost due east at an azimuth of 96°. That is out over the sea and along the coast towards Marbella. The Sierra Bermeja rises behind the town, to the north and west, so it plays no part. Any open spot with a view east works. Choose on space, shade and how easily you can walk there.
The seafront promenade and La Rada beach
La Rada is the main town beach, running along the promenade in front of the centre. It is wide and faces the sea to the south and east. If you are staying in town, walk down, find a spot and stay put. Expect it to be busy, as it is on any August morning.
The old town
Estepona’s old town is known for its white streets and flower pots on the walls. The streets are narrow, so a low Sun would be hidden, but at 39° you only need a square or a wider street with an open view to the east. It is a lovely place to spend the morning, with cafes for the long partial phase. For totality itself, the beach gives a wider sky.
The marina and beaches to the west
The marina lies to the west of the centre, with bars and restaurants, and there are more beaches further west towards the boundary with Casares and Manilva. The beaches away from the centre are usually quieter. Parking near any beach fills early in August.
Why not drive west?
Sotogrande gets 28 seconds more, and the Bay of Gibraltar about 50 seconds more. That gain is real. But on eclipse morning a lot of people from Marbella and Málaga will have the same idea, and they will all pass Estepona on the A-7 and AP-7. If you are sleeping here, watching here avoids that queue completely.
Eclipse-day traffic
Two roads run along this coast. The free A-7 runs close to the sea through Estepona. The tolled AP-7 runs inland of it and is usually quicker. Both carry heavy beach traffic in August, and in summer the flow of cars to the Algeciras ferries adds to it.
- Sleep where you want to watch. If that is Estepona, you do not need a car that morning.
- If you drive in, be parked by about 08:30. The partial phase starts at 09:41:28.
- Do not leave at 10:50. The partial phase runs until 12:01:27. Stay for lunch and drive in the afternoon.
Check the DGT live traffic map before you set out.
Getting there
- By air. Málaga airport has by far the most flights. It is roughly an hour away by road in normal traffic. Gibraltar airport is closer, but you have to cross the border.
- By car. The AP-7 or A-7 from Málaga and Marbella, or from the Bay of Gibraltar in the other direction. Spain drives on the right.
- By bus. Long-distance buses link Estepona with Marbella and Málaga, and with Algeciras. Check timetables in advance, since services may be extra busy that week.
- By train. There is no railway to Estepona. The Cercanías line from Málaga ends at Fuengirola, well to the east.
Where to stay
The best rule on eclipse day is to sleep where you plan to watch.
Estepona town
Hotels, apartments and holiday rentals along the seafront and in the centre. You can walk to the beach and watch 3m 37s of totality without touching a car. Search Estepona for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Casares and Manilva
West of Estepona the coast of Casares and Manilva has resorts and apartments, and inland the white village of Casares sits on its hill. Being further west, these places should get a little more totality than Estepona, but we have no exact figure for them in our dataset. Search Casares and Manilva for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Sotogrande
A bit further west, across the provincial border in Cádiz, with 4m 05s. See our Sotogrande guide. Search Sotogrande for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Marbella
If Estepona is full, Marbella has the biggest supply of rooms nearby and 3m 17s of totality. Watch from there rather than driving west that morning. See our Marbella guide. Search Marbella for 1 to 3 August 2027.
These are plain search links, not affiliate links. We do not copy prices, since they change daily and eclipse-week availability will move quickly. Where you can, book a rate with free cancellation.
Weather
In our satellite data 66% of days between 26 July and 9 August, 2001 to 2024, were almost clear in the grid cell around Estepona, with a daily mean cloud cover under 20%. Only 9% were half cloudy or worse, and the typical day had 11% cloud. On 2 August itself, 18 of the 24 years were almost clear.
These figures are averages over a large grid cell and over the whole day. Summer mornings on this coast can start with some haze or low cloud over the sea that burns off. More detail is on our weather page. Check the AEMET forecast in the days before.
Beyond the eclipse
- The old town. White streets, flower pots and small squares, good for a slow walk after the eclipse.
- Murals. Estepona has painted many large murals on building walls around town. Walking between them is an easy way to see more of it.
- The promenade. A long walk along the sea from the centre towards the marina.
- Casares. A white hill village a short drive inland to the west.
For the whole coast, see our southern Spain guide and the eclipse day planner.
Estepona eclipse questions
How long is totality in Estepona?
3 minutes 37 seconds, from 10:46:20 to 10:49:58 local time (CEST, UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027. The partial phases run from 09:41:28 to 12:01:27.
Is Estepona better than Marbella for the eclipse?
Slightly. Estepona gets 3m 37s and Marbella 3m 17s, so 20 seconds more. If you are already in Marbella, that is not worth a drive on eclipse morning.
Should I drive from Estepona to Sotogrande or Tarifa?
Sotogrande gets 4m 05s and Tarifa 4m 38s. The gain is real, but so is the traffic. If you want more time, move there the day before. Otherwise watch from Estepona.
What are the chances of a clear sky in Estepona?
In satellite data for 26 July to 9 August, 2001 to 2024, 66% of days were almost clear and 9% were half cloudy or worse. On 2 August, 18 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
Sotogrande & San Roque
Marina, golf and quiet beaches at the east end of the Campo de Gibraltar.
Full guide → Total: 3m 17s Southern SpainMarbella
The big resort town of the Costa del Sol, with over three minutes of totality.
Full guide → Total: 4m 27s Southern SpainGibraltar
The Rock, a British territory inside the path, with nearly four and a half minutes.
Full guide →