Menorca will be the first place where the total solar eclipse of August 12th can be seen, starting at 8:30 PM. If nothing new happens, for 66 seconds, the Moon will cover the Sun and the sky will darken. None of us has ever seen it.

On Wednesday, August 12, coinciding with the total solar eclipse, the Balearic Islands will face a day with a very high or extreme forest fire danger level in a large part of the territory. This is not just a consequence of high temperatures: the index used this year by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) combines various meteorological and environmental factors to determine how favorable it is for a fire to occur and spread.

The total solar eclipse on August 12 is an extraordinary phenomenon. So is the expectation it has generated. For over a year, astronomers, enthusiasts, and specialized media have been warning that the Balearic Islands, and more specifically Mallorca, would be one of the most coveted places in the world to observe it, if meteorological conditions allow.

The forecast that the Serra de Tramuntana will be one of the most crowded areas in Mallorca during the total solar eclipse on August 12 has led the Government to prepare an exceptional traffic restriction device. The objective is to avoid a collapse, but the foreseen exceptions have generated much controversy. While thousands of residents of municipalities located a few minutes from the Serra will not be able to access it by vehicle, tourists who have paid hundreds or even thousands of euros to stay in a hotel in the area will be exempt from the limitations. Thus, the exceptions set by the Government project, once again, the idea of a privatization of the territory of the Balearic Islands and reinforce the perception that those who pay have more rights to transit this territory than those who live there. "Once again, the rights of tourists who pay are above those of the residents who live on the island," remarks Joan Moranta, president of GOB.

There are events that last only a few minutes, but are lived for months. The wait is also part of the experience. Sometimes, even more than the moment itself. That's why great celebrations don't start on the day they arrive but much earlier. They are prepared, shared, fed by expectations. Institutions know this very well, and that's why every New Year's Eve, on Saint John's Day, during patron saint festivals, or on so many other significant dates, they organize activities so that the celebration becomes a collective experience.

Expectation? People coming from abroad to witness a very infrequent phenomenon? Nothing new. Another August, but this one 121 years ago, Mallorca became an international focus of attraction for a total solar eclipse, with the presence of six scientific collectives from four countries and three hundred Italian tourists who traveled expressly to the island to witness this exceptional phenomenon. It was August 30, 1905, at noon.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed to the Government that the Spanish army will be deployed in the Balearic Islands on the day of the eclipse and will form part of the security device that has been planned to control the influx of people. The Vice-President and spokesperson for the Executive, Antoni Costa, announced this Friday after the meeting of the Governing Council. However, he also acknowledged that the Executive has no estimate of the influx of people. "It is evident that it would be very considerable if there were no kind of restriction," he said without providing any approximate figure.

The Palma City Council has set up a telephone line (696 27 98 04) to resolve queries about access and mobility to Playa de Palma, one of the eclipse observation points. The line will be active on August 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. On the day of the eclipse, however, it will be available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

On August 12, 2026, the Balearic Islands will be one of the few places from which to contemplate a total solar eclipse. But it won't be enough to find yourself on the right island: the phenomenon will practically coincide with sunset and any building, tree or mountain that blocks the western horizon may prevent you from seeing its most spectacular moment.

Mallorca has become one of the most sought-after locations to observe the solar eclipse on August 12. Thousands of people will travel to the island to witness the astronomical phenomenon, while Majorcans eagerly await an event that has not occurred in the Archipelago for over a century. Flights with no availability, full hotels, and residents searching for the best spot to observe it. There is, however, a possibility that almost no one has foreseen: what if it cannot be seen from Mallorca after all?

The total solar eclipse on August 12 can be observed from the Balearic Islands without meteorology threatening to spoil the spectacle, for now. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts a stable afternoon, with few clouds and good visibility, although marked by high temperatures.

Amado Carbonell has traveled around Mallorca by car to mark the official eclipse observation points in collaboration with the Government of the Balearic Islands. Furthermore, he is the president of the Foundation Institute of Astronomy and Astronautics of Mallorca (FIAAM) and the Astronomical Association of Andratx.

More than 10,000 boats will set sail off the coast of the Balearic Islands to witness the eclipse on August 12, a meteorological event that could have "very negative" environmental consequences. This is explained by Raquel Vaquer, a biologist at the Marilles Foundation, who assures that "the destruction of marine flora and fauna that could occur if the rules are not respected during the 1.5-minute eclipse will take decades to recover".

The massification to live the eclipse of next August 12 will not only be lived in the Serra de Tramuntana, the Balearic Sea will also be another hot spot. According to estimates from the sector and authorities, more than 10,000 boats are expected to sail simultaneously along the coast of the Archipelago during the afternoon to experience the meteorological phenomenon. Although it is impossible to have a real calculation of the number of boats that will go out to sea that day (as no permit is required to navigate), both Ports IB and the Association of Nautical Companies of the Balearic Islands (AENIB) and the Association of Navigators (ADN) agree that "if the weather is good, more than 40% of the current fleet of the Balearic Islands, which is 31,000 boats, will go out".

The Government has clarified that the traffic restrictions planned for August 12, due to the eclipse, will apply to all motor vehicles, including motorcycles and mopeds. The measure is part of the Eclipbal operation, the special public security and emergency plan designed to manage one of the most important astronomical events of recent years.

The eclipse has become a viral phenomenon in Mallorca and the question all residents are asking themselves is the same: from where will I be able to see it? To resolve these doubts, they have created the application Horitzó 2026, a tool that allows you to know how the solar eclipse will be seen from all over the island.

The Government has asked hotels this Tuesday to encourage guests to watch the solar eclipse of August 12 from their accommodations and to avoid private vehicle travel. The request is part of the planned measures to reduce mobility during the afternoon. As previously communicated, car access to the Serra de Tramuntana will also be restricted, with exceptions for residents, workers, and people staying or with reservations in establishments in the area.

The Palma City Council has enabled an accreditation system for access to Platja de Palma on the day of the eclipse (August 12), for vehicles of residents and workers and clients of establishments in the area. From 12 noon, roundabouts and access roads to Platja de Palma will be closed to the general public: only residents with a parking space, workers, public transport, taxis, Uber and buses responsible for transferring clients from the hotel to the airport will be able to access.

Restauració Mallorca CAEB has warned restaurateurs and suppliers on Platja de Palma this Friday about the access and mobility restrictions planned for August 12, the day of the eclipse. They have also recommended that they anticipate activity planning.