Eclipse enthusiasts in Spain and Iceland spared no expense for a prime view of the rare cosmic event, with some spending up to £18,000 on exclusive viewing experiences. These packages included vantage points from yachts, five-star hotels, and hot-air balloons.
In Spain, an estimated six million people converged to witness the moment the Moon obscured the Sun along a strip of land stretching from the Balearic Islands to parts of the mainland. Resorts advertised luxury packages, with one at Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor offering a yacht trip with a private astronomer for €20,700 (£17,678). The St Regis Mardavall in Mallorca presented a €15,000 (£13,000) experience featuring a hotel stay, a private yacht named La Dragonera, on-sea meditation classes, and catering.
Key viewing locations in Spain were reported to be Menorca, Valencia, Segovia, and Bilbao. The eclipse in Spain was expected to be closely followed by sunset, enhancing the visual spectacle. The event coincided with a high-risk period for wildfires, prompting a significant police operation and public safety campaign across Spain. The government also aimed to utilize the event to promote lesser-visited regions and mitigate overtourism on the coast by redirecting crowds from saturated beach resorts. This led to the establishment of 660 official viewing sites by regional governments and the deployment of over 35,000 police officers. Warnings were issued regarding the high risk of wildfire due to expected temperatures reaching 40C (104F), with restrictions on dropping cigarettes and having barbecues. In response to fire threats, some towns, including Tres Cantos near Madrid, canceled public solar eclipse events.
The Iberian Peninsula last experienced a total solar eclipse in 1912 and is set to see another on August 2, 2027, followed by an annular eclipse in January 2028, completing what is being called the 'Iberian Eclipse Trio'.
In Iceland, eclipse glasses sold out days in advance in Reykjavik, as the country, with a population of approximately 400,000, anticipated hosting up to 80,000 visitors. A narrow path of totality was expected to reach Iceland's westernmost coast around 5:44 p.m. local time. The duration of totality, where the Moon completely blocks the Sun, was projected to last up to two minutes and 13 seconds in the far west, though most cities would experience shorter periods of darkness. Authorities cautioned about potential heavy traffic and advised viewers to arrive early.
Singer Björk was scheduled to perform a DJ set at an eclipse-themed event south of Reykjavik, with tickets priced up to £1,000. Some international visitors reportedly spent around $13,770 (£10,189) for stays in remote, luxury five-star hotels in Iceland to observe the eclipse.
NASA planned to fly a high-altitude WB-57 aircraft from Iceland to track the Moon's shadow. Additionally, NASA-funded teams were set to launch balloons to study the effects of the sudden darkness and cooling on the lower atmosphere. Krista Kern, a visitor from North Carolina, described her anticipation of totality as a "whole-body feeling," while also expressing concern about Icelandic weather. The event attracted not only casual observers but also dedicated "eclipse chasers," individuals who travel globally to be within the path of totality during solar eclipses. Gordon Telepun, a retired plastic surgeon and amateur astronomer from the U.S. who has photographed six total eclipses, chose Mallorca, Spain, for his viewing, citing favorable weather prospects in August, a totality duration exceeding one-and-a-half minutes, and ease of travel.