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Have you visited a site for a unique experience and seen it flooded with tourists? That’s overtourism, and Spain is taking action to avoid overcrowding tourist hotspots, even if it means losing money in the process.
Representative image of a sequence of a total solar eclipse with mountains in the background.On August 12, Spain will see its first total solar eclipse in over a century. The mayor of the tiny village of Jabaloyas in Teruel province, however, has ordered the closure of the highest peak, El Javalon, considered one of the best places in the country to experience totality. This has been done with public safety and environmental protection in mind and ignoring potential economic gains from touristic activity.
Why is El Javalon preferred?
The upcoming solar eclipse may be near-total in the UK, but those residing in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain will be in the path of totality. The tiny village of Jabaloyas will experience a totality of 1 minute and 27 seconds, where the day will turn into complete darkness.
With the moon eclipsing a setting sun, a clear view of the western horizon is essential to view the eclipse, and an elevation like El Javalon makes it a prime spot to be in. El Javalon is a Starlight-certified site, offering one of the darkest skies in the peninsula, and is no stranger to astrotourism – travel aimed at viewing celestial events and stargazing.
In the run-up to the eclipse, El Javalon has emerged as one of
Original Record.
This archived record authored by ‘Ameya Paleja’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
English