A solar eclipse will pass over the same place twice in less than a year
Spain is the only country in the world to experience the path of totality for the solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, as well as the eclipse on 2 August 2027, offering sky gazers a unique opportunity to witness the celestial event.
Six of the top 10 sunniest cities in Europe are in Spain, meaning there is little chance it will be obscured by clouds.
Taking place at the height of the August tourist season, the Great European Eclipse of 2026 will see the path of totality cross over most of northern Spain, as well as the Balearic islands.
A third eclipse will also be visible in Spain in January 2028, though it will only be an annular solar eclipse.
This is were the Moon covers the Sun's centre but leaves the outer edges visible to produce a 'ring of fire'.
All three of the solar eclipses will be visible from the UK as partial solar eclipses, though the chance of clear skies is less certain.
Astronomers recommend using special glasses to view the eclipses to avoid damage, or to use home made projection equipment to track the Moon's progression as it passes in front of the Sun.
"You mustn't look at it with the naked eye, you mustn't look at it with a telescope – unless you have the right kind of filters,' said Dr Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society.
"It's perfectly possible to take a picture of a solar eclipse. My recommendation would be that if you're projecting the image onto a piece of white card, that you just photograph the projection and then you can see the progression of the eclipse and see that bite taken out of the Sun as the Moon moves across it."
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
The Spanish party town with 87p shots that's ‘better than Benidorm' & BEGGING Brits to return after anti-tourist demos
IT'S midnight and Boozers Fest Bar is packed to the rafters with a host of 18 to twentysomethings, all jostling to play a wild new drinking game. This Dutch -run party bar charges £17.50 to take part in 'Snappy', where ten shots are placed around a crocodile toy for punters to down if its mouth shuts when they press its teeth. 18 18 18 18 As they drink, the crowd whoops and hollers and the room, no doubt, starts to spin. Kim, 21, falls foul of the snap, and tells me: 'It's like being a kid again, but with an extra hit. 'We love it here — fun and alcohol, what more could you want?' So far, so typical of a Spanish holiday for British youngsters, many on their first sunshine break without mum and dad cramping their style. But while this bar is bursting, the same cannot be said for other venues in the Spanish resort town of Lloret de Mar. With 100-plus bars and clubs, it was once branded the country's 'party capital' but now many of the venues sit partially empty or closed — an unwelcome result of the nationwide anti-tourist protests that have driven customers away. As a result, the pub owners and party organisers here are pleading with high-spending Brits to return. Currently, the town is besieged by Dutch and German tours of under age teens, who barely spend any money and demand that prices stay low or they won't come. Drinks prices on this section of the Costa Brava haven't risen since 2018, so shots are on offer for one euro (87p) and cocktails for eight euros (£7). Locals are now yearning for its early-Noughties heyday when it was a Club 18-30 destination for Brits. Anti-tourist protesters blast holidaymakers with water guns & block hotels Local shop owner Mohan, 45, told The Sun: 'Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. "We love English tourists here because they spend the most. 'Yes, some get a bit drunk and loud, but that's not the end of the world. 'The protests in Barcelona have put people off coming here. It's July, and it's not as busy as it should be. 'We want tourists to know they are welcome. I've lived in Lloret since 1999 and everyone here wants more Brits — more tourists, not less.' Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. We love English tourists here because they spend the most Mohan, Local shop owner Last year 18.4million of us headed to Spain, contributing £20billion to the country's economy, according to the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. But over-tourism has been blamed for inflating Spain's housing crisis, with protesters in Barcelona, the Balearics and Canary Islands holding signs saying 'Tourists go home' and 'Foreigners not welcome'. Lloret is not immune to the housing concerns of places such as Ibiza and Tenerife, but instead of blaming the tourists they have targeted their anger at the government. Officials have responded by cracking down on unlicensed accommodation, which last week saw cops raid 23 illegal tourist flats and slap the owners with fines of up to £20,000. Restaurant Pinocchio owner Claudio La Face, 37, explained: 'Unlicensed holiday flats are a problem because people are concerned about renting to locals as if there is a problem, such as not paying rent, there is little they can do. "On top of that, many prefer to rent to tourists because they can make a lot of money, despite the risk of big fines.' 'Better than Benidorm' 18 18 18 Italian Claudio, who has lived in Lloret for 12 years, said he struggles to understand the anti- tourist protests happening in other parts of Spain. 'It has affected our numbers here, especially this year,' he said. 'But we need tourists in Lloret, we love them. Most of Spain needs tourists too, so protesting against them doesn't help anyone. "Tourists should come to Lloret for the good weather, the beautiful beaches, and amazing food options. Plus there are lots of cultural places around here to visit, such as Girona.' One of the biggest draws to the town is its party district, home to one of the world's best clubs, Tropics. The main strip, Avenue Just Marles Vilarrodona, is full of venues that can hold thousands of revellers, and the winding side streets boast a seemingly unending array of cocktail bars offering outrageous drinking games. Don't Let The Duck Out sees players put on a swim cap and snorkelling goggles to try to grab a bottle of alcohol from a large water bowl. Essentially it's boozy apple bobbing. British teens Lucy and Gemma, both 18, are loving the nightlife in Lloret. Lucy said: 'My sister recommended it, and it's crazy here. We have no regrets booking it. It's fun.' Other Brits out on the lash include Dan Clark and Ollie Bott, both 20, from Stoke, who booked the resort after spotting it on the Jet2 website. For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. A lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we're British, which is cool Ollie Bott They've flown out with six mates, who they have managed to lose by the time they bump into The Sun. Ollie said: 'For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. A lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we're British, which is cool.' Newlyweds Rachel, 37, and Phillip, 41, from Leeds, are here for their honeymoon. 'It wasn't quite what we expected for our honeymoon, but we love how lively it is,' courier Phillip said. 'I'd certainly come back here with the lads, or let my sons have their first drinking holiday here as it feels really safe. There's nice food and the booze is cheap. 'Plus everyone here has been really friendly compared to other holidays we've been on.' Couple Paul Willmot and Janette Machin, both 57, from Bridlington, Yorks, reckon it could even start to rival Brit favourite Benidorm. Janette said: 'It's been really great so far. It has potential and reminds me of Beni and Sunny Beach before they got super-popular. We didn't let the protests in other parts of Spain put us off, and no one else should either.' 18 18 18 Standing in doorways and draped over pavements are revellers debating which bar to move to next. Some are being shepherded by tour operators. 'A little rowdy' Back on the main street are Disco Londoner and Touch Down Sports bar, both owned by Marcus Faraji. He told The Sun: 'Ninety per cent of the industry here is based around tourism, even if it's not directly. 'More needs to be done to educate locals that their livelihoods and comforts come from tourists being welcome here. This is getting lost because many people are so worried about the housing issues. 'The drinking tourism we get upsets some, and they complain that people don't come here to visit cultural places, but the truth is we don't have the infrastructure for that. "Many of the tourists that come here are in groups organised by tour operators, who take up bulk bookings at hotels. 'It means we have to keep drinks cheap, because if we raise our prices they threaten to not come. 'But some of the people they bring are as young as 16, so we won't serve them anyway, and they don't have a lot of money to spend, which harms the economy. 'English people don't travel in the same way. We would like more of them because they spend a huge amount on both restaurants and on alcohol.' Bars caught serving booze to someone under age risk a fine of £2,600 for each case — and the drinker can be handed a £850 fine. Local businessman Igor Peyman, 54, is also keen to see more British holidaymakers pitch up in Lloret. He said: 'English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much. 'They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all. There is so much for people to enjoy here so we hope they aren't put off by the protests in other parts of Spain.' 'Spanish Blackpool' But not everyone is a fan of Lloret. Holidaymaker Amanda, from Stratford-upon-Avon, West Mids, reckons it's essentially ' Blackpool in Spain'. She added: 'You do have to look for the nicer places to go as the centre is very young and aimed at a younger crowd.' Her pal Michele agreed, but added: 'Everyone has been really friendly, and you don't get hassled to go to restaurants or shops. Parts of the town are quite dated and need investment.' We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets Tattoo shop worker Jose Tattoo shop worker Jose, 30, is keen for Lloret to only welcome tourists who will be respectful. He said: 'We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets. 'Tourists who want to have fun but appreciate we live here are always welcome, even if they're a little rowdy. 'Lloret is a poor town, and most of us have to earn our living for the year in the space of six weeks. "We love tourists and we always want them to come here.' 18 18 18 18 18 What is overtourism? Overtourism is where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity. The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues. As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals. Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources. In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism. These include:
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
How over-tourism turned a chic Paris neighbourhood into a theme park
Michèle Barrière has had a lifelong love affair with Montmartre, living a stone's throw from the Moulin Rouge for the past 30 years. She has frequented its ivy-clad cafes and pastel houses for twice as long and has always embraced the changes to her beloved 'butte', as locals call the hilltop area with sweeping views of Paris. 'But enough is enough,' said the 72-year-old as she marched past souvenir shops and tour groups with her corgi, Valentine. 'Montmartre has become an amusement park, and we are the attractions. Soon they'll be throwing us peanuts,' she scoffed. 'It's Disneyland.' With its cobbled streets, windmills, vineyard, funicular railway, and bohemian history, Montmartre has long been popular with foreign visitors. The white-domed Sacré-Coeur basilica and the portrait artists of Place du Tertre have been a magnet for decades. But many among the district's 27,000 residents now say cohabitation with millions of tourists, who outnumber them 423 to one, has reached breaking point. Last year, the Sacré-Coeur was the most visited monument in France, ahead of the Eiffel Tower, with 11 million visitors. Montmartre now has an even denser tourist zone per capita than Venice. 'It has got totally out of hand. I have nothing against tourists per se, but now my prevailing feeling is one of hostility,' said Ms Barrière, an author of historic and culinary detective works. 'Sometimes I can't even reach my front door due to these hordes.' To prove her point, she shooed a tour group coming up the Rue de l'Abreuvoir with a royal wave as if they were pesky pigeons. Valentine, the corgi, looked on placidly. Eric Durand, a photographer, resident and member of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre and the 18th Arrondissement, said tourism had gone into overdrive since the end of the Covid lockdowns. 'Before, it was mainly felt on weekends when the weather was nice. Since the end of the pandemic, and even more so since the Olympic Games [last summer], it's been like this all year round,' referring to the crowds of tourists outside his home. He said the influx of tourists started with the 2001 cult movie Amélie. Tourists continue to flock to the Café des Deux Moulins, where scenes showing the heroine at work were shot. The Netflix series Emily in Paris brought even more tourists, who seek out sites that feature in the show such as La Maison Rose restaurant, or the Wall of Love in a garden off the Place des Abbesses with 'I love you' written in a myriad of languages on ceramic tiles. 'We saw it on the show and on TikTok so we thought it would be fun to come,' said Jen Park, a New Yorker who posed with her husband Bruce in a pit-stop during their trip to attend a wedding in Paris. Then last year, the Paris Olympics brought the road bike race to Montmartre with images beaming around the world of cyclists hurtling up Rue Lepic with a crowd of 55,000 cheering them on. As if that wasn't enough extra publicity, on Sunday July 27, the final stage of the Tour de France will make a detour via Montmartre for the first time ever, before riders finish on the Champs-Elysées. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, personally announced the news. 'It's obviously great for business, but I do understand local residents' gripes about the number of people,' said Julien Ogeard, the 34-year-old manager of Le Nazir, whose boss is a cycling fan and is thrilled the Tour will pass by their cafe. 'My fear,' said Mr Durand, 'is that the tourists are now moving down the hill and saturating other areas, particularly Abbesses, which has become one long line of tourist terraces.' He added: 'We already had one amusement park at the top, now we risk having a second below. 'Montmartre is losing its soul. I'm thinking of moving out, and I'm not the only one.' Revolt has been brewing since the recent introduction of new traffic restrictions. There are fears it will force families to leave, and drive small shops that serve residents, such as butchers and greengrocers, out of business. Meanwhile, they say gas-guzzling tourist sidecars and Citroen 2CVs continue to hurtle down cobbled streets, scaring people. Others complain about rocketing real estate prices, with flats selling for up to €15,000 (£13,000) per square metre. Tourist rentals, meanwhile, are pushing out local families, who are leaving en masse. Between 20 and 30 per cent of properties are Airbnb listings, 'and that's not counting undeclared rentals,' said Brice Moyse of Immopolis agency and president of the Lepic-Abbesses shopkeepers' association. 'In the neighbourhood, long-term rentals have disappeared,' he told Le Monde newspaper. In recent months, banners have appeared in windows with messages such as 'Forgotten residents!', 'Let the Montmartrois live!' and 'Behind these façades there are people'. But also, on school buildings: 'No to class closures!' 'It's the same problem across Paris: the socialist town hall takes decisions without ever properly consulting residents,' said Béatrice Dunner, a translator who has lived in the neighbourhood since 1976. As president of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre and the 18th Arrondissement, she is drawing up a white paper she hopes the candidates the city's mayoral elections next year will adopt. She said Amsterdam, Barcelona and Majorca were models. Ms Dunner's proposed measures include higher tourist taxes on hotels and tougher regulations and checks on tourist accommodation, as well as limiting tourist group sizes. Other options are a ban on tour guide intercoms and pre-empting more commercial leases to avoid yet more shops selling Chinese-made Emily in Paris berets. 'We also need to decide, at the national level, whether we want yet more tourists,' Ms Dunner added. Last year, the Paris region welcomed 22.6 million visitors. In one bastion of resistance, at La Cave des Abbesses, a group of residents popped the cork off a bottle of crémant de Bourgogne and handed out glasses of red as the clock struck the aperitif hour of 6pm. 'We still meet up and it is still a life for locals, but look around, there used to be three bookshops, a sweetshop for kids from the local school, a drugstore. Now they're all brand stores. They're the only ones who can pay the rent,' said Sabine Bouillet, who works in a tea shop. 'I'm not happy at all,' said Olivier Boukhobza, 36, a resident who works for Le Vrai Montmartre (The Real Montmartre), which creates profiles of locals. 'The real acceleration came in the past five years with the rise of influencers and Instagrammers who post from Montmartre and make it a must-see location.' 'We need to find the right balance between tourists, locals and those who work here. Right now, it's the tourists who have the upper hand.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Europe's best holiday city revealed - with incredible views, £1.30 pizza and cheap flights from the UK
Europe's best holiday city has been revealed, with voters praising the idyllic location for its incredible views, budget-friendly pizza and affordable flights from the UK. In a new survey conducted by luxury magazine Travel + Leisure, readers cast votes for their favourite worldwide city, with the Italian hotspot of Florence taking the crown as Europe's most loved. Frequented by between 10 and 16million holidaymakers each year, sunseekers eagerly flock to the Tuscan city due to its rich Renaissance art and architecture, walkable city center and delicious food. Described by Travel + Leisure as a 'must-see thanks to its 'artistic treasures', 'superlative shopping' and 'wide selection of hotels', Florence, often known simply as 'The Beautiful', gained an overall reader score of 90.08. Taking the top spot in Europe and 11th in the world, Florence even beat the popular European cities of Seville, Spain, Instanbul, Turkey and fellow Italian city of Rome. Once named by SerSace as 'the most beautiful city in the world', travellers seeking a romantic European getaway are in luck due to its historical charm and picturesque scenery. Visitors can gaze at some of the world's most gorgeous architecture, including the Duomo cathedral, which even contains its own piazza. Meanwhile, the Pagliazza Tower, which dates back to the sixth or seventh century, acts as one of Europe's most captivating squares. Florence is frequented by between 10 and 16million holidaymakers each year, with sunseekers eagerly flocking to the Tuscan city due to its rich Renaissance art and architecture, walkable city center and delicious food Once named by SerSace as 'the most beautiful city in the world', travellers seeking a romantic European getaway are in luck due to its historical charm and picturesque scenery For those looking to further indulge themselves in the Tuscan culture, the city is also home to some of the world's most iconic and historic artwork, including pieces by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci. The Galleria dell 'Accademia di Firenze, the location of Michelangelo's David, is a five-metre-high marble sculpture that serves as one the world's most famous artistic masterpieces. From the gallery, it is just a seven minute stroll to the city's 1200's cathedral, a major feature of Florence's skyline. The city's iconic medieval bridge - Ponte Vecchio, is one of Florence's most visited attractions. It was the only bridge in Florence to survive WWII and is famed for the shops that line its sides. Food lovers will also be surprised by how easily tourists can get their hands on a slice of authentic Italian pizza for just £1.50, while pasta dishes can also be bought for a mere £5. Famous for its gelato, signature local deliacies include the negroni cocktail and ribollita soup. Just last week, Florence was named the world's most walkable city due to its compact layout and pedestrian-friendly streets. Research undertaken by financial website Insider Monkey saw Florence race to the top spot, surpassing locations such as Madrid, Porto and Hamburg. Food lovers will also be surprised by how easily tourists can get their hands on a slice of authentic Italian pizza for just £1.50, while pasta dishes can also be bought for a mere £5. Flights from the UK run daily and from £44, with a flight time of just two hours With high praise awarded for its 'history and timeless architecture', the city was said to be explorable within just a two-hour window, as its hidden gems are easily accessible by foot. The study also spoke favourably about the city's good air quality and safety levels. Accessing the charming city from the UK could also not be easier, with daily flights from London's Heathrow Airport to Florence-Peretola Airport launching in 2023. With a flight time of just two hours and return fares starting from £44, there are up to 69 flights from the UK running a week, according to Skyscanner. Indeed, for those based outside of the capital, several other UK airports also offer direct routes to the nearby Italian city of Pisa, just an hour's train ride away. It is even possible to get to Florence by train from the UK. Simply hop on the Eurostar to Paris before making a change to Milan and then catching a final train to Florence.
