Medina Sidonia Total Eclipse
A hilltop town above La Janda, on the A-381, with over three minutes.
Medina Sidonia is a white town on a hilltop about 300 metres high, above the farmland and cattle country of inland Cádiz. It is one of the oldest towns in the province, and from the top of the hill the views run for many kilometres in every direction. On Monday 2 August 2027 it is inside the path of totality.
The Sun is fully covered for 3 minutes 21 seconds, from 10:45:35 to 10:48:56 local time (CEST, UTC+2). That ranks 22nd of the 43 places in Spain in our dataset. The central line runs 85 km to the south, out at sea, and the northern edge of the path is 33 km to the north. The Sun will stand 38° high at an azimuth of 95°, almost due east.
Medina sits just off the A-381, the dual carriageway that crosses the province from Jerez to Los Barrios on the Bay of Gibraltar. That road is the eclipse corridor of inland Cádiz: the further south you drive along it, the longer totality gets. Medina is the first real town on it with more than three minutes.
The eclipse from Medina Sidonia, 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.
- 10:45:35 Totality begins: second contact The last sliver breaks into Baily’s beads, then the diamond ring. When the ring goes out, glasses off.
- 10:47:16 Mid-eclipse Deepest darkness. The corona surrounds a black Sun 38° above the horizon; look for planets and the horizon glow.
- 10:48:56 Totality ends: third contact A second diamond ring flares on the opposite limb. Glasses back on the instant it appears.
- 12:00 Fourth contact The Moon leaves the Sun’s disc and the eclipse is over.
| Eclipse type | Total |
|---|---|
| Duration of totality | 3m 21s |
| Maximum obscuration | 100% |
| Eclipse magnitude | 1.010 |
| Sun’s altitude at maximum | 38° |
| Sun’s azimuth at maximum | 95° |
| Mid-eclipse (UTC) | 08:47:16 |
Medina Sidonia 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 | 09:40:58 |
|---|---|
| Totality begins | 10:45:35 |
| Mid-eclipse | 10:47:16 |
| Totality ends | 10:48:56 |
| Duration of totality | 3m 21s |
| Partial eclipse ends | 12:00:10 |
| Distance to the central line | 85 km |
| Distance to the nearest edge (northern limit) | 33 km |
| Rank by duration | 22nd 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 Medina Sidonia. 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.
Medina Sidonia 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.
Why watch from the hill
Height does not change the length of totality in any way you would notice. It changes what you see. From the top of Medina you look east across open country, and on a clear morning you may see the light fail unevenly over the land in the last minute before totality. The town also gives you what a beach does not: shade, water, toilets and somewhere to sit during more than two hours of partial eclipse.
The one thing to watch is the street itself. In a narrow lane, houses on the east side can hide a Sun 38° high. Stand further from any building than about one and a quarter times its height. Pick an open square or a viewpoint on the edge of the hill, and check your line with eclipse glasses during the partial phase.
The upper town and the castle area
The top of the hill, around the main church of Santa María la Coronada and the remains of the castle, has the widest views. It is also the part of town with the least room for cars. Park lower down and walk up.
The Plaza de España
The main square, with the town hall, is the easy choice for a comfortable wait with cafes around you. Stand in the open middle rather than under the arcades, so the eastern sky is clear.
The countryside
If you are staying in a rural house around Medina, your own garden is probably the best spot of all. The land here is open and gently rolling, and a 38° Sun clears almost anything.
The A-381 corridor: more time to the south
The A-381 runs from Jerez, near the northern edge of the path, south through the hills to Los Barrios. Totality along it changes a lot:
- Jerez de la Frontera: 1m 37s, close to the northern edge.
- Medina Sidonia: 3m 21s.
- Alcalá de los Gazules: about 3m 22s. The hilltop village further south on the A-381 lies about as far from the central line as Medina does, so it gains only a second or so.
- Benalup-Casas Viejas: 3m 50s, from 10:45:26 to 10:49:16. The village lies south of Medina, on the edge of the plain of La Janda, and closer to the central line.
- Los Barrios: 4m 20s, at the southern end of the road on the Bay of Gibraltar.
So Benalup gives you 29 seconds more than Medina, and the Bay of Gibraltar about a minute more. Both are within reach, but think about the morning traffic. Many people from Jerez and Seville will drive south on the A-381 for more time. If you sleep in Medina, the calm choice is to stay on your hill. If you sleep in Benalup, stay there.
- 09:40:58: the partial eclipse begins in Medina.
- Be parked by about 08:30 if you drive in that day.
- 10:45:35 to 10:48:56: totality in Medina, 3m 21s. Glasses off only in this window.
- 12:00:10: the partial eclipse ends.
- Do not leave at 10:49. The A-381 will fill as soon as totality ends. Stay for lunch.
Check the DGT live traffic map before you set out, and see the eclipse day planner.
Getting there
- By air. Jerez airport is the closest, roughly 45 minutes by road in normal traffic. Seville is a little under two hours away. Gibraltar is roughly an hour south along the A-381, plus the border.
- By car. From Jerez, the A-381 towards Los Barrios, then the exit for Medina. From the coast around Chiclana and Conil, local roads climb east to the town. Spain drives on the right.
- By bus. Interurban buses link Medina with Cádiz, Chiclana and Jerez. Services are limited, so check timetables well ahead. There is no railway.
Where to stay
Medina Sidonia
A small supply of hotels, guesthouses and town houses, plus rural stays in the countryside around. You can walk to the top of the hill on eclipse morning and never touch the car. Rooms are limited, so book early. Search Medina Sidonia for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Benalup-Casas Viejas
A small village with some accommodation and 3m 50s of totality. It is a good base for the plain of La Janda and the cork oak hills of Los Alcornocales. Search Benalup-Casas Viejas for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Alcalá de los Gazules
Another hilltop white village on the A-381, with rural houses in the park around it and about 3m 22s of totality. Search Alcalá de los Gazules for 1 to 3 August 2027.
Backup base: Vejer
Vejer de la Frontera, to the south west, has more places to stay and 4m 06s of totality. Search Vejer 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: better than the coast
In our satellite data Medina Sidonia falls in the same kind of inland climate as Benalup and the Bay of Gibraltar: 66% of days between 26 July and 9 August, 2001 to 2024, were almost clear, with under 20% cloud. 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.
For comparison, the Atlantic coast cell around Cádiz and Chiclana scores 54%. The figures are daily means over cells about 100 km across, so they are a regional comparison, not a forecast. They do point the same way as local experience: morning sea mist on the Atlantic shore often does not reach a hilltop inland. Inland means heat, though. August afternoons away from the sea are very hot, so carry water and wear a hat.
Check the AEMET forecast for Medina Sidonia in the days before, and see our weather page.
Beyond the eclipse
- The old town. Walk up through the gates to the main church and the castle remains at the top of the hill.
- The Roman remains. The town has an archaeological site with underground Roman galleries. Check opening times locally.
- Alfajores. Medina is known for its alfajores, a traditional sweet of honey, almonds and spices.
- Los Alcornocales. The cork oak natural park starts to the south east. In August the fire risk is high and access to some areas can be closed, so check first.
Compare with Chiclana, Vejer, Conil and Algeciras, or see every Spanish town side by side in our southern Spain eclipse guide.
Medina Sidonia eclipse questions
How long is totality in Medina Sidonia?
3 minutes 21 seconds, from 10:45:35 to 10:48:56 CEST (UTC+2) on Monday 2 August 2027. The partial eclipse runs from 09:40:58 to 12:00:10.
Is Benalup-Casas Viejas better than Medina Sidonia?
It gets more time: 3m 50s against 3m 21s, because it is closer to the central line. Both share the same cloud record. If you are already in Medina, the drive is short, but go early and do not leave straight after totality.
Is Jerez inside the path of totality?
Yes, but only just: Jerez gets 1m 37s. Driving south on the A-381 to Medina Sidonia doubles that, and the Bay of Gibraltar gives more than four minutes.
What are the chances of a clear sky in Medina Sidonia?
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
Vejer de la Frontera
A white hilltop town with a wide view east over the plain, and more than four minutes of totality.
Full guide → Total: 3m 29s Southern SpainChiclana & Sancti Petri
La Barrosa beach and Sancti Petri, with three and a half minutes of totality.
Full guide → Total: 4m 26s Southern SpainAlgeciras
The ferry port of the Strait, with a big hotel stock and well over four minutes.
Full guide →