Watch totality from La Camperona, León
Our recommended vantage point for the 2026 total solar eclipse: a 1,603-metre summit in the mountains of León, northern Spain, sitting directly on the path of totality with an open horizon across several valleys.
Why La Camperona
La Camperona sits in the municipality of Sabero, in the Sabero Valley, and lies directly beneath the path of totality, offering one of the longest durations and highest percentages of totality observable anywhere in Spain. Its altitude, orientation and unobstructed view across the surrounding valleys make it an unusually good natural vantage point.
The area also has very little light pollution, thanks to the absence of industry and large towns nearby, and the altitude and dry air give consistently clear atmospheric conditions. Outside the eclipse itself, these are also excellent conditions for general stargazing and for observing fainter deep-sky objects through a telescope.
Eclipse day schedule
All times below are local time at La Camperona on 12 August 2026, as published by the event organisers.
| Local time | Event |
|---|---|
| 18:00 | Participant reception |
| 19:32:14 | Partial eclipse begins; talk explaining the event follows |
| 20:27:44 | Totality begins |
| 20:28:38 | Greatest eclipse |
| 20:29:32 | Totality ends |
| 21:21:30 | Partial eclipse ends |
| 22:00 | Night sky observation session |
Totality at the summit lasts 1 minute 47.5 seconds, calculated for La Camperona's exact coordinates using Xavier Jubier's eclipse circumstances calculator, closely matching the organisers' own published schedule above.
Precise circumstances at the summit
Calculated for La Camperona's exact position, 42°53′40.78″N, 5°11′17.66″W at 1,346 m, using Xavier Jubier's eclipse calculator. Times are UTC converted to local Spanish summer time (UTC+2).
| Event | Local time (CEST) | Sun altitude | Sun azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial eclipse begins (C1) | 19:32:17.2 | +19.7° | 271.2° |
| Totality begins (C2) | 20:27:47.3 | +9.6° | 281.3° |
| Maximum eclipse | 20:28:41.1 | +9.5° | 281.4° |
| Totality ends (C3) | 20:29:34.7 | +9.3° | 281.6° |
| Partial eclipse ends (C4) | 21:21:33.0 | +0.2° | 290.2° |
| Sunset | 21:28 | −0.8° | 291.2° |
At maximum eclipse the Sun sits only about 9.5° above the horizon, and by the time the partial phase ends it has all but reached the horizon, with sunset following roughly seven minutes later. This is precisely why La Camperona was chosen: totality itself needs no more than a reasonably open sky, but watching the full partial phase play out to its end demands a genuinely clear, unobstructed view to the west-southwest, over open valleys rather than towards a ridge or treeline.
Other figures from the same calculation: the Moon covers the Sun's disc completely (100% obscuration), with a magnitude of 1.01558 and a Moon-to-Sun size ratio of 1.03350. The umbra crosses the ground at 2.338 km/s, and the path of totality is 301.3 km wide at this point along its length, one of the wider stretches of the 2026 eclipse path.
Getting there and what to bring
Access
Parking is available at Sotillos de Sabero, from where the summit is reached on foot: 3.3 kilometres with 400 metres of elevation gain. Visitors with reduced mobility can be driven directly to the observation area.
Admission
Free, on a first-come basis until the site reaches capacity. The event is organised jointly by Sabero Town Hall and Litos.net as a cultural and scientific occasion open to the public.
What to bring
Food, water, blankets or a sleeping mat, and warm clothing for the evening. There are no facilities at the summit itself, so plan to be self-sufficient for the day.
On-site conduct
Organisers ask that visitors take all litter away with them, keep silent during the peak of totality, avoid loudspeakers or anything that could interfere with others' observation, and keep phones on silent.
Looking directly at the Sun without proper protection can cause permanent blindness. Every attendee is responsible for their own safety on this point. Never look at the Sun directly, and never through binoculars or a telescope, outside the brief window of totality itself. See our eclipse safety guide for full detail.
The event may be cancelled or altered at short notice due to weather conditions.
This event listing is translated and adapted from the original Spanish-language brochure produced by author and broadcaster José Vincent Casado of Litos.net, organised together with Sabero Town Hall. Solar Eclipse Info recommends this event but is not one of its organisers; please direct event-specific questions to the organisers via Litos.net.