At the time when the Moon had already begun to eclipse the Sun, a pair of German posers were clashing shopping bags from the golden mile stores and four Jehovah's Witnesses were waiting in vain to proselytize. As if an exceptional astronomical phenomenon were not about to occur. On the way to the terraces of Es Baluard, a street vendor was placing, bored, his straw hats. "Do you have glasses?". He shook his head because he knew they were asking him for the eclipse ones. Already at the top of the museum, a foreign couple had decided to cut in half the only pair they had and their children were looking at the Sun with one eye and covering the other with a hand.

There were reasons to fear the worst: an exceptional total solar eclipse coincided with one of the days of greatest human pressure of the year and with the Islands, especially Mallorca, becoming the center of world attention. It was like a stress test for islands that live at the limit of their capacity. And yet, the balance of August 12th is, despite the incidents, very positive.

The organization of the Feels Like Festival, which took place on Wednesday in Sant Antoni de Portmany coinciding with the total solar eclipse, has denied that the person who died of cardiac arrest was inside the event venue.

The Balearic Sea also suffered the overcrowding caused by the solar eclipse. Images captured during the day by the Civil Guard show entire stretches of coast packed with boats, with thousands of boats anchored a short distance from each other and a particularly high density in some of the points with the best visibility of the phenomenon. A scene that turns into reality one of the main concerns that experts and environmental organizations had expressed before the eclipse: the possibility that the tourist overcrowding that is usually experienced on land would also extend to the sea.

In Manacor, the Na Molla park, the place recommended by the City Council just 300 meters from the urban center, has been filled with people to contemplate the solar eclipse in a familiar and relaxed way. An hour before, many had taken advantage of this green esplanade located next to IES Manacor, to set up their own camp, with chairs, tables, and something to snack on, in order to prepare for the phenomenon.

Like the Spanish national team, at the last minute. The thousands of people who chose the Variades area, in Sant Antoni de Portmany, this Wednesday to watch the eclipse, feared for twenty long minutes that the clouds would spoil the experience. Even some of the frustrated attendees began to whistle, following the logic of someone who would also applaud a sunset, as if the Sun could do anything about it. But just at the last second, the mixture of haze and clouds dissipated and at least the climax of the astronomical phenomenon could be contemplated: the 'diamond ring' effect just before the complete occultation; the halo of light when the Moon completely covers the Sun... A magical moment, even disturbing, if it weren't for the inevitable Ibizan soundtrack that accompanied it. And at full volume. The disco house that a DJ was playing at Café Mambo could be clearly heard from a good 400 meters away.

Some 400 privileged individuals were able to watch the eclipse from the top of El Toro, Menorca's highest peak, where attendees responded with applause to the spectacular moment when day suddenly darkened, as the Moon covered the Sun, which was already beginning to set.

The Balearic Islands experienced a total solar eclipse this Wednesday, August 12, 2026, the first visible in the Islands since 1905. It darkened the sky for just over a minute. On this same day, moreover, three more astronomical phenomena occurred (the Perseid meteor shower, the green flash, and the alignment of six planets).

Running out of certified glasses does not mean you have to miss out on the total solar eclipse. David Galadí-Enríquez, coordinator of the Scientific and Advisory Commission of the Eclipse Trio, proposes a "much safer and more fun" alternative, especially for children: building a pinhole camera with a cardboard box.

The hours leading up to the total Solar eclipse have seen the first protests over the occupation of some of Mallorca's most sought-after spots. At the port of Valldemossa, swimmers managed to get a yacht anchored on a Posidonia seagrass meadow to raise its anchor. At Trenc beach, the Government's Environment agents removed a large deployment of furniture that a group of workers from a luxury boat had installed on the sand to observe the phenomenon.

Astronomers and enthusiasts from the Balearic Islands are all set to observe the total solar eclipse this Wednesday afternoon. The phenomenon, which will be visible from the Islands in particularly unique conditions, promises to be an extraordinary visual spectacle, but will have little "scientific appeal" due to the difficulties that will arise in taking precise measurements.

Information updated at 5:10 PM. All planned restrictions on roads, access to natural areas, and parking lots to ensure safety during the eclipse are already in effect in the Balearic Islands. In Mallorca, access to the Serra de Tramuntana via the Ma-10 and about twenty other roads leading to viewpoints, coves, and spots where a large turnout is expected has been controlled since 3 PM.

Mallorca will experience an exceptional day this Wednesday, August 12, due to the total solar eclipse, an astronomical phenomenon that has not been seen in the Islands since 1905 and will not be repeated until well into the 22nd century. The forecast of a large influx to the main observation points has forced administrations to prepare a special plan that will affect mobility, access to natural spaces, and the operation of some roads, especially in the Serra de Tramuntana.

Mallorca has become a pilgrimage site to experience the eclipse. People from all over the world have bought flights to come to the island to see the astronomical phenomenon and the big question that arises is none other: why Mallorca, if it can be seen from many other places in the world?

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts a Wednesday, August 12th afternoon with stable weather and good visibility in the Balearic Islands, coinciding with the total solar eclipse. Current forecasts indicate few clouds and high temperatures, around 30 degrees at the time of the phenomenon.

GOB Mallorca will close the La Trapa estate between August 12 and 13 as a preventive measure to protect this space in the Serra de Tramuntana in view of the forecast of a high influx of visitors due to the solar eclipse.

Any major event, such as the total solar eclipse on August 12, is surrounded by fascinating aspects and curiosities. With what artifacts were these astronomical phenomena predicted in ancient times? What do you miss if you are not in a zone of totality? Will there be eclipses someday?

42 recorders installed on Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza will record the activity of birds and bats before, during, and after the total solar eclipse of Wednesday, August 12. The objective is to study whether the darkening caused by the astronomical phenomenon alters the behavior of these species.

Menorca will be the first place where the total solar eclipse of August 12 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 have ever seen it.