I am sure that you already know we will have a total solar eclipse in Spain, on Wednesday, 12th August 2026. It is one of The News for 2026 (one of the few positive news for the year perhaps :)). But I am also certain most people do not understand the implications it has on their Camino de Santiago. Also, considering the specific climate of various Camino routes in August, as a local, having lived here for a few years now, I can also explain what your chances of actually seeing the solar eclipse with clear skies are, on various pilgrimage routes. Let’s have a look at it all.
Exact parts of most popular Camino ways where you can observe total solar eclipse
Camino Frances
On the most popular ways of all, the total solar eclipse will be visible all the way from a bit after Pamplona to the airport of Santiago de Compostela. If you follow our guide for Camino Frances, it means that you should find yourself anywhere between stage 4 and stage 29 to be 100% sure you’re in the zone of totality. The best parts to observe the total eclipse, however, not only weather wise (we’ll speak about that one later in more detail) are actually on the famous Meseta, between Burgos and Leon. That means starting from stage 12 of our guide and ending by stage 17. In an ideal planning of your Camino & solar eclipse trip on Camino Frances, this is the zone you should aim for.
Camino del Norte
On this super popular pilgrimage route in August (due to warm climate and ‘beach atmosphere’), Del Norte, the total solar eclipse will be visible all the way from Bilbao (actually a few km before the town will already do) to the airport of Santiago. Hence if you follow our guide, that means you should find yourself anywhere between stage 7 and stage 30 of this camino. The best visibility (not necessarily weather wise, more on it later on), however, will be from the zone around Gijon, meaning around stage 17 of our guide.
Camino Portuguese
The stripe of total solar eclipse is narrow enough and it won’t be possible to observe it from any point of Camino Portuguese. Having said that, you will see 95%+ eclipse from the entire Camino Portuguese. That’s still something and if total eclipse isn’t your top priority, you may actually prefer this way, since it will be less crowded for the very same reason.
Camino Primitivo
You can witness the total solar eclipse on entire Camino Primitivo, except the very end from the airport of Santiago onward. Hence starting right from Oviedo, the stage no. 1 of our guide. Basically planning your Camino Primitivo during the Eclipse dates, you’re sure to witness it. The starting point Oviedo is virtually in the middle of the “totality strip”, meaning it is an ideal point on this Camino, at least when the duration of the spectacle is concerned :). There are other concerns though (such as weather) and I will elaborate on them later on.
Other caminos, more and less notable
When we look at other ways, going by our map of all major pilgrimage routes in Spain, this is the reality for August 12 2026:
- Via de la Plata, Camino Sanabres: Total solar eclipse cannot be witnessed from any point of this camino.
- Camino de Levante: Total solar eclipse cannot be witnessed.
- Camino Ingles: You can witness the total solar eclipse from almost the entire Camino Ingles, minus the ultimate 20 kilometers.
- Camino Invierno: Visible in the first half or so, but you’ll be always balancing on the very edge of the totality strip, so it isn’t ideal.
- Camino Olvidado: Visible on all the route, from start in Bilbao until the end in Ponferada, where it connects to Camino Frances.
- Camino de Fisterre and Muxia (way to the ‘end of the world’): Not visible anywhere.
Realistic weather conditions on various pilgrimage routes in mid August
Being in the zone of total solar eclipse is one thing, and realistically enjoying the spectacle another. If it is cloudy or it rains, you will still notice the change, but it isn’t the same like enjoying it to the fullest with your solar eclipse glasses on. And while you can find information about general weather conditions on various ways, as a local I can give you a better hint on the real weather, and your chances of having clear skies on the big day.
We should also realize that the eclipse takes place just about 45 minutes before sunset, which again has some implications on the visibility. Anyway, let’s look into it, for Camino Frances, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo, Camino Ingles, and the mysterious Camino Olvidado, simply routes from where the total eclipse will be visible.
Weather on Camino Frances for total eclipse 2026
In general, except the start and the last part in Galicia, rain and evening clouds are rare on Camino Frances in mid August. Especially the zone of meseta, starting from Azofra already (stage no. 9 of our Camino Frances guide) is super safe when it comes to clear skies on August 12 2026. Of course, exception proves the rule, but you have about 98% chance of clear skies on the evening of August 12 2026 if you’re in the mid part of Camino Frances, especially on the meseta. And that’s hard to beat really :). What’s more, since the zone is very flat and the sun typically sets on the horizon, you do not have to be afraid of the eclipse happening behind some mountain, as it can happen on some other routes.
Camino del Norte and weather for total solar eclipse
Things are more tricky on Camino del Norte. Of course, it sounds super romantic observing the total eclipse on the coast of the Atlantic, and perhaps then even diving into the water to celebrate it. And outsiders think weather is always great in August here, since that’s when is packed, and the entire south of Spain comes for holiday to the north, together with many foreigners. But this can’t be farther from the truth…
In reality, the humidity is very high in this zone, especially in summer months. Which means that clear blue sky, as we know it from many other parts of Spain, is super rare in summer. Sure, the weather is nice and the temperature pleasant, it rains very little, but there are clouds, virtually every day, and they often rise above the ocean in the evening, just before the sunset (which is exactly when the eclipse spectacle happens).
Now, these aren’t thick rainy clouds or anything like that. But they are there, every day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, and often both, or even they come and go various times during the day. My realistic estimate (as a local living on the coast) is that you have about 40-50% chance of having clear (or almost clear) skies for the total eclipse on 12th August.
– Sunset on the coast, 3 km from our pilgrim hostel, in summer 2025. You can see the clouds are present, and this was actually a good evening, that’s why I took a picture :). Many times the clouds are thicker, and you can barely see the sun behind them. However, if the conditions are good for the eclipse (the 40-50% chance as I suggested earlier) watching the eclipse and then the sunset from a spot like this is something hard to forget…
Camino Primitivo and weather for the eclipse 2026
Camino Primitivo is the hardest to predict, when it comes to weather. Especially the middle mountainous section, where storms are common in summer, often already in the morning, but also in the afternoon, evening, any time of the day :). But when the storm passes the clouds often open up, so really it is a lottery here… On the middle part of Camino Primitivo, your chances of having clear skies on the evening of eclipse are 50%. And also very hard to predict even if you watch the weather forecast closely the days before the spectacle.
Having said that, the zone from Lugo onward is much more safer, in terms of clouds, and I would estimate a probability of clear skies on 12th of August for close to 80% there. In this part the storms aren’t common and also the forecast is more accurate. So for example if it shows clear skies for Lugo 2 days in advance, the chances are high it really will be so.
One more thing to pay attention to on Camino Primitivo, especially the mountainous sections, is the exact location of the place where you will be on the evening of the eclipse, when it comes to position of the mountains. Some of the villages are “among the mountains”, and considering that the eclipse happens just a bit before sunset, it may easily happen that you do not see the sun at all, even with clear skies, simply because it will be already behind the mountains for an hour when the total eclipse starts.
Camino Ingles and Camino Olvidado
These two are less popular, so I will describe them in one paragraph. In general, in August on Camino Olvidado, the chances for clear skies in the evening are pretty high. Close to 90%, especially once you left the zone of Bilbao and are few days on the route. Having said that, there are plenty of mountains on this way, especially in the second half, so just like with Primitivo, make sure to pick the right spot for the eclipse evening, to not having the setting sun behind a mountain :).
Camino Ingles, considering it’s position in Galicia and close to the coast, is really a hit and miss in mid August, for the evening of the eclipse. Even though I know the zone, I won’t dare saying anything else that the chances of clear skies for the evening are 50% there, or even less. Probably better closer to Santiago, but remember that from Santiago de Compostela one won’t observe the total solar eclipse–it’s out of the strip.
– Camino Olvidado, late May 2022. As you can see, few places in Spain can beat the beauty of the mountainous part of this camino in spring or summer. However, with many mountains around, one has to be careful for the evening of the solar eclipse, because if you’re not, the sun may simply be behind one of those beautiful mountains.
Situation on different pilgrimage routes for the solar eclipse 2026 (number of pilgrims, availability of accommodation etc)
Enjoying the total solar eclipse while on the pilgrimage is great, but we should not forget it is a one day event. Or, said even more precisely, a few minutes event :). What I try to say here is that should you choose the way and the timing of your walk to be in the right place during the solar eclipse, it is also important to know the overall situation on the given Camino. Will the albergues be open? Will you have to race for beds, or even worse, don’t get any? And what about the overall weather, is it good to walk or will you suffer? Let’s have a look at it one by one.
Camino Frances situation during the solar eclipse 2026.
August on Camino Frances is a relatively calm season. It is quite hot and dry, hence more people prefer either May-June or Mid September-October for their walk. Having said that, all albergues are open, and the infrastructure stays in place. What is specific for this period of the year on the French way are super early starts of walks for most pilgrims. That’s because of heat. A typical routine looks like this:
Pilgrims wake up at 5am and start walking soon. At 6:30-7am first bars open, that’s the break for breakfast. Then they continue walking until around noon, 1pm max. And than they call it for the day, take a lunch, a siesta, and once the heat becomes more bearable again (as evening approaches), leave the albergue to explore the surroundings (and later have a dinner), going to bed quite early for Spanish standards.
If this routine is fine for you and you aren’t extremely sensitive to heat, August can actually be an excellent time on Camino Frances. Especially the part I recommend for solar eclipse–the meseta. It won’t be crowded, you will find places in pilgrim hostels, and many places are “pilgrim only”, which means you don’t have to worry the beds will be taken by people who came to Spain just because of the solar eclipse.
Camino del Norte situation during solar eclipse 2026
Things are more complicated on Camino del Norte. First of all, August is as high season as it can be–both on the pilgrimage and outside of it. Tourists and travelers flock to the northern coast of Spain to enjoy favorable weather conditions and spend some time on the beaches. Secondly, most hostels on camino del Norte aren’t pilgrims only. That’s important to know, because you can’t rely on fact that you simply arrive to some place among the first and get the bed. What I try to say here is that during the solar eclipse 2026 (few days before and few days after), it will be extremely difficult getting a bed on the camino, anywhere where the total eclipse will be visible.
In general, I don’t recommend this Camino in August, but hey, the solar eclipse is in August :). So what’s the solution? There are actually two solutions:
- Following our guide for Camino del Norte and choosing the best places to stay, you book everything in advance, for the week surrounding the solar eclipse. Of course it isn’t ideal, but it is what it is.
- You take with you a good sleeping bag and one person tent, and will spend some nights outside, should you struggle to find a bed inside. Check my guide on camping on the camino, if you decide to do so.
– My bivouac on the coast, during Camino del Norte in summer 2021. You will find many places like this along the way. For exact recommendations for good places to pitch a tent or bivouac, follow our guide for Camino del Norte.
Situation on Camino Primitivo during the solar eclipse
Camino Primitivo experiences a huge boom in the recent years. What’s more, August is definitely a high season on this camino. On the other hand, many places (at least half of the pilgrim hostels) are pilgrim only, and quite a few first come-first serve, so if you’re a fast walker you don’t have to bother too much about whether you get a bed or not. You can also check our guide, stage by stage, and book a few nights in advance, around the dates of the eclipse.
In terms of weather, Primitivo is nice in August. Not as hot as Frances, has much less rain that it has in May and June and even July, and the mountains are still green and beautiful. So, it isn’t a bad option for the solar eclipse.
Situation on Camino Olvidado and Ingles
Camino Ingles definitely has high season during August. Most places aren’t pilgrims only, there are popular destinations for tourists in August, and in general it can be really tricky finding the accommodation during the week of the solar eclipse. Again, it doesn’t mean you can’t choose it as your Camino for mid August 2026. But if you do so, I recommend you to book everything in advance. Because it’s a short camino it is easier to plan to pick your spot for each night…
Camino Olvidado is a thing on its own. As the name suggests (olvidado means “forgotten’), there are very few pilgrims in general. What’s more, the heat in August (and the exposure to it) is similar to Camino Frances, but the infrastructure is not. On Camino Olvidado, sometimes you have to walk 30 or even 40 kilometers in very open terrain, simply because there aren’t any accommodation options in between. As a general rule, unless you are in an excellent shape and a regular to long distance hiking, I do not recommend this Camino for the solar eclipse.
Having said that, if you are in an excellent shape and aren’t intimidated by a proposition of walking 35 kilometers in 35 degrees Celsius with minimum shade, the chances for good weather for the eclipse, and also for finding accommodation (in towns) are quite high. And while no doubt millions will travel to Spain to witness the solar eclipse, vast majority of them won’t stay along the little known places on Camino Olvidado… which makes from it an interesting destination for this event.
Final verdict and final thoughts
Considering everything, I believe you would agree with me that the best Camino to be at (considering weather, chances of clear sky, crowds, availability of pilgrim only accommodation and accommodation in general) during the solar eclipse 2026 is Camino Frances, and probably the part of the meseta. But it can also be done on Camino del Norte, Primitivo and Olvidado, considering the specifications of each route in this part of the year and during the solar eclipse in particular, as I tried to outline them in this post, to my best knowledge of a local and someone who walked all these routes.
Last but not least, solar eclipse is a spectacle, but it last only a few minutes (the total eclipse). Camino de Santiago is an adventure for a few weeks or even months (depending on your starting point and pace), that can change your life forever (just as it had changed mine :)). What I try to say here is that I am sure you won’t be disappointed, even if the solar eclipse doesn’t pan out perfectly (for example you will have a cloudy evening). Still, it is important to understand what solar eclipse means for your camino (especially in terms of accommodation availability), so you don’t end up stranded in the streets during the week of the solar eclipse… I hope reading this article helped you to prepare for this special occasion and I wish you buen camino!
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