I live in the path of totality in Spain. How can I make the most of it?

April 9, 2024 8:17 AM

So I watched from afar about the eclipse fever of 2017 and 2024 and have now realized that I live smack dab in the path of totally in Spain during the August 12, 2026 eclipse. Are there businesses opportunities I could take advantage of here?

I know that I prefer to watch it from the top of a mountain, dolmen, abandoned town or monastery, so no problems there.... but my apartment in the city has the PERFECT view of the eclipse -- 7th story rooftop terrace facing the sunset (eclipse is at 8:30 pm before sundown) with a view of the cathedral, old town, and mountains in the background. Is this something I can rent out?

What are other opportunities I am missing? Is there such thing as an eclipse consultant? I know so many beautiful, remote, mystical places in the path of totality that I imagine foreigners might not know about or how to get to. Mid August is also fiestas in so many cute tiny villages!

Any advice or wisdom to share on how to use my knowledge to help umbraphiles find the best eclipse experience?

posted by maca to Travel & Transportation around Spain (11 answers total)

Whether you can rent that out will depend on the rules for your apartment/building I would think. But would people pay to go there? I would think so, especially if you thrown in a meal or some other "experience" stuff. But yeah, I could see myself paying to have you make arrangements to have my somewhere nice at eclipse time. Hell you know what I would love? "Group eclipse viewing will occur at location X, Y or X (towns around with different weather profiles). The day before the eclipse based on whether predictions for eclipse day the bus/Van will leave the CityWithAirport to head to the location with the clearest skies expected and longest totality time. [list of places and accommodations/arrangements at each place].
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:28 AM on April 9 [4 favorites]

Oh, also, souvenirs. They sold a lot of tshirts in Niagara falls yesterday, but no one had eclipse christmas tree ornaments.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:29 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

It’s totally possible to rent out your space if it’s legal. See this map of Airbnb utilization in the path of the totality this year.

I think there’s totally space to have a festival/ticketed event that provides food, drink, eclipse glasses, music (an eclipse themed Spotify playlist), and someplace to sit for several hours around the time of totality. Bonus points if there are things to engage kids like games, arts and crafts, eclipse-themed science experiments, or a swimming pool. I threw something like this for a bunch of friends and it was really just a backyard house party with a few eclipse themed things and it seemed to go over well.
posted by A Blue Moon at 9:41 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

If you want to rent out your space, (assuming it's legal for that property, (or not, do what you want)), that's probably going to be pretty easy.

If you want to become an eclipse event planner, (totally cool idea), that's going to be a much bigger task, unless you know about planning larger events in the places it will happen. And know people who know local permitting laws and such. OTOH rent a farm field, throw up some tents, run a party and see what happens.
posted by Windopaene at 9:52 AM on April 9

I was just in Vermont for the eclipse. I wish someone had been selling hand-made, dated eclipse tie dye t-shirts. There’s plenty of commercial swag but something with a human touch has a much nicer feel.

If the eclipse will touch several cities in Spain, you could even do a concert tour type shirt, with the list of cities on the back, and have people in each city selling shirts.

You could do a beautiful tie dye design with an eclipse in the center. You could even do a black and white version. Black and white tie dye is unusual and would match the other worldliness of an eclipse.

Lots of people would have bought something like that in Vermont. A total eclipse is a day to remember.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:25 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

If the eclipse will touch several cities in Spain, you could even do a concert tour type shirt, with the list of cities on the back, and have people in each city selling shirts.

I don't know if Spain is big enough to have radically different times, but if it is, then put the totality time where the concert date would go.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:13 PM on April 9 [1 favorite]

According to this totality map, the times different by a few minutes across different regions in Spain.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 3:00 PM on April 9

I would 100% love for someone from Spain to put together something like this! I was just feeling so sad because I missed this last one and I'm scared of traveling but I want to witness totality so badly. I am genuinely sitting in my bed being tearful about it right now. Please take a group of people like me who are scared to travel far from their homes due to anxiety and strong neurodivergence but want to experience this so much!
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:38 PM on April 9 [3 favorites]

What are other opportunities I am missing? Is there such thing as an eclipse consultant?

With all due respect, you don't have the qualifications to be an eclipse consultant. You've watched two from afar. So have many people.

The two ways people are likely to make (significant) money on the eclipse are real estate rentals and tour guiding. You have no experience in either? What are you bringing here that experienced travel professionals don't? You basically seem interested in making money off of tourists, which while not a unique thing, doesn't really set you apart. Tours planned/promoted by non-professionals have an deservedly awful reputation. If you're just trying to cash in, please don't.

I know so many beautiful, remote, mystical places in the path of totality that I imagine foreigners might not know about or how to get to.

You might be surprised. I was in a tiny, remote area of the US and the one tiny part of a park I was in had about (numerically) 20% as many people in it as lives in the local area and all of the people near me outside of my group were clearly European. The world's a lot smaller than it used to be.
posted by Candleman at 12:35 AM on April 10

TBH when there was a total eclipse and I was a kid we got invited to a higher than the rest apartment tower a few blocks from home to look at it. People will hire balconies when something interesting is happening down in the street like Easter processions or the Athletic's gabarra tomorrow, but it's going to be difficult to monetize your window when the sun shines on us all.

T-shirts, baseball hats or similar and eclipse glasses (provided they're safe, if you can't, don't) look a better option.
posted by sukeban at 5:22 AM on April 10

(After looking at the totality map) Oh boy, if you want to watch it from Mallorca in the middle of August, better start looking for lodging now. A Coruña, Xixón, León, Burgos or Zaragoza will not be as full of tourists, and Lugo, Palencia, Soria or Teruel will be there for people who like small towns in the interior. Tarragona and the Costa Daurada nearby will be full of the usual national tourists with a home at the beachside.
posted by sukeban at 5:31 AM on April 10 [5 favorites]