The good news is that this eclipse falls in early August in southern Spain, one of the most favourable combinations of date and place anywhere in the world. It is the time of year with the least cloud and the least rain in the region, and the Sun will be around 38° above the horizon, which reduces the effect of haze low down.
Here the levante costs you twice#
An easterly levante forms low cloud that catches on Monte Hacho and on the hillsides opposite, precisely in mid-morning, and it also builds a swell in the Strait. In other words, the same phenomenon that can cover your sky can also strand you. If the forecast calls levante, watch the AEMET forecast and the ferry operator's departures at the same time — and remember that low cloud reaches Monte Hacho before it reaches sea level.
What to do about it#
- Do not commit to an exact spot until 24 to 48 hours before, when forecasts become reliable.
- Have one backup inland and another along the path: a few kilometres is often enough to escape a coastal low-cloud layer.
- Gain height if there is low cloud: elevated spots frequently sit above the layer.
- Follow AEMET, the Spanish met office, in the final days rather than generic weather apps, which perform badly in microclimate areas.
- Keep the tank full and your bags packed the night before, so you can move at dawn if the forecast turns.
On specific figures
What you still get under cloud#
Even under complete overcast, totality registers: the light collapses into deep twilight, the temperature drops several degrees in minutes, the wind shifts and animals behave as though night has fallen. It is not the same as seeing the corona, but it is far from nothing.