The Strait of Gibraltar and the coasts of southern Spain and Morocco, photographed from the International Space Station in July 2024 (Image: NASA)

Solar Eclipse 2 August 2027 in Estepona: Exact Times, Totality and Where to Watch

Yes: Estepona is inside the path of the total solar eclipse on Monday 2 August 2027. In the town centre, totality lasts about 3 minutes 38 seconds, from 10:46:20 to 10:49:58 Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2). The Sun will be 39° above the horizon, almost due east (azimuth 96°), over the sea just to the right of the coastline towards Marbella. The partial eclipse starts at 09:41:26 and ends at 12:01:29. Along Estepona's own coast totality runs from about 3 min 35 s at El Padrón beach in the east to 3 min 44 s at Bahía Dorada in the west, while Los Reales, the summit of the Sierra Bermeja behind the town, gets only about 3 min 21 s.

Last updated: 7 November 2026

Estepona had 79,621 residents on 1 January 2025 (INE). It lies towards the western end of the Costa del Sol, and that matters on eclipse day: the path of totality gets wider and deeper as you go south-west, so Estepona gets about 20 seconds more than Marbella. Our Marbella eclipse guide covers the coast to the east. Here: our times for 13 places from Marbella to Gibraltar, where to stand, and how to get here.

What time is the eclipse in Estepona on 2 August 2027?

All times are local CEST (UTC+2), from our own calculation. The partial phase lasts about 2 hours 20 minutes, with totality near the middle.

Place Partial eclipse begins Totality begins Maximum Totality ends Partial eclipse ends Totality lasts Sun altitude
Estepona town centre (Plaza de las Flores) 09:41:26 10:46:20 10:48:09 10:49:58 12:01:29 3 min 38 s 39°
La Rada beach and Paseo Marítimo 09:41:27 10:46:20 10:48:09 10:49:58 12:01:29 3 min 38 s 39°
Estepona port (fishing port and marina) 09:41:26 10:46:18 10:48:08 10:49:58 12:01:28 3 min 40 s 39°
El Cristo beach 09:41:25 10:46:18 10:48:07 10:49:58 12:01:28 3 min 41 s 39°
Bahía Dorada (west Estepona) 09:41:23 10:46:13 10:48:05 10:49:57 12:01:24 3 min 44 s 39°
El Padrón beach (east Estepona) 09:41:28 10:46:25 10:48:12 10:50:00 12:01:33 3 min 35 s 39°
Los Reales summit, Sierra Bermeja 09:41:25 10:46:24 10:48:06 10:49:45 12:01:21 3 min 21 s 39°
Casares village 09:41:22 10:46:14 10:48:00 10:49:46 12:01:16 3 min 32 s 38°
Sabinillas (Manilva) 09:41:21 10:46:07 10:48:02 10:49:58 12:01:21 3 min 51 s 39°
Sotogrande 09:41:16 10:45:55 10:47:57 10:50:00 12:01:18 4 min 05 s 38°
Gibraltar 09:41:08 10:45:35 10:47:48 10:50:02 12:01:10 4 min 27 s 38°
San Pedro Alcántara 09:41:35 10:46:40 10:48:21 10:50:02 12:01:44 3 min 23 s 39°
Marbella old town 09:41:40 10:46:51 10:48:29 10:50:08 12:01:55 3 min 17 s 39°

Our calculation with Skyfield and the JPL DE421 ephemeris, with a smooth lunar edge, at the height of each place (Los Reales about 1,450 m, Casares about 400 m). Published figures for Estepona sit within a few seconds of ours, on both sides: snowy.es gives 3 min 37 s (10:46:20 to 10:49:57), solar-eclipse.info 3 min 37 s (10:46:11 to 10:49:48), the IGN, as quoted by Eclipseando, 3 min 36 s (10:46:11 to 10:49:47), eclipse-solaire.fr 3 min 39 s and TresEclipses 3 min 41 s, the longest figure we found. The Wikipedia timetable has no row for Estepona. For Casares TresEclipses gives 3 min 35 s against our 3 min 32 s, and for the municipality of Manilva 3 min 52 s. Sites use slightly different points and models of the Moon's edge, so plan on "about" the figure shown.

For the rest of the country, see our guide to the total eclipse in Spain and the eclipse times in 125 cities.

How far is Estepona from the edge of the path and the centre line?

Estepona is about 40 km inside the northern limit of totality, which runs well inland behind the Sierra Bermeja (about 36.78° N at Estepona's longitude, by our calculation). The centre line is out at sea, about 79 km south of the town, and the path is roughly 237 km wide here. Every kilometre you move south-west along the coast takes you a little deeper into it, which is why totality grows from about 3 min 17 s in Marbella to 3 min 38 s in Estepona, 3 min 51 s in Sabinillas and 4 min 05 s at Sotogrande. Moving north into the mountains does the opposite.

Map: Estepona and the northern edge of the path of totality, 2 August 2027 Map of the western Costa del Sol from Sotogrande to Marbella with the shaded path of totality and its northern limit, about 40 km north of Estepona, with totality durations: Estepona 3 min 38 s, Sabinillas 3 min 51 s, Sotogrande 4 min 05 s, Casares 3 min 32 s, Los Reales 3 min 21 s, San Pedro Alcántara 3 min 23 s, Marbella 3 min 17 s.EsteponaCasaresSabinillasLos RealesSan Pedro AlcántaraMarbellaSotogrande3 min 38 s3 min 32 s3 min 51 s3 min 21 s3 min 23 s3 min 17 s4 min 05 sMediterranean Sea (centre line about 79 km south of Estepona)Total eclipse (path of totality)Northern limit of totalityTember calculation (Skyfield, DE421). Coastline: Natural Earth
Estepona is about 40 km inside the northern limit of the path. Totality gets longer to the south-west and shorter up in the Sierra Bermeja. Durations are our calculation for each place; the coastline is simplified.

The Sierra Bermeja is the trap. Los Reales, at about 1,450 m (sources give 1,449 m and 1,452 m), is only about 8 km from the town centre, but it is closer to the northern edge, and totality at the summit drops to about 3 min 21 s: 17 seconds less than the beach. If you want more time in the dark, go the other way: west along the coast to Sabinillas or Sotogrande, or on to Gibraltar (about 4 min 27 s), roughly 37 km away as the crow flies. Málaga, near the edge, gets far less: see our Málaga eclipse guide.

Where is the best place to watch the eclipse in Estepona?

On the seafront. At 10:48 the Sun stands 39° up, a little south of due east. From the beach that puts it over the water, just to the right of the coast running towards Marbella. Space.com, in its October 2026 list of the best places in Spain for the eclipse, calls La Rada "the obvious gathering place" in Estepona.

  • La Rada beach and the Paseo Marítimo: the main town beach, in front of the town centre, with a seafront promenade. Idealista's beach guide gives 2,300 m; Space.com calls it "mile-long". About 3 min 38 s, and the most space for a crowd.
  • The port and El Cristo beach: at the west end of La Rada is the port, a working fishing port with a marina of 447 berths. Just past it, El Cristo is a small, sheltered cove of about 700 m with calm water. About 3 min 40 s to 3 min 41 s. Masts and port buildings can get in the way, so pick an open spot on the sand.
  • West towards Bahía Dorada: the beaches between the port and the Casares border are quieter and a few seconds longer: about 3 min 44 s at Bahía Dorada, a narrow beach of about 650 m beside the housing estate of the same name.
  • East towards El Padrón: El Padrón beach, by the river of the same name, has a 16th-century watchtower and a promenade. It is part of a protected coastal area, so keep to the paths. About 3 min 35 s, a little less than the town.
  • The town centre: Plaza de las Flores and the old-town streets are lovely, but buildings can hide a Sun that is only 39° up. Check your spot at about 10:48 a few days before: the Sun is in almost the same place in late July. The beach is a short walk away.
  • Casares and the Sierra Bermeja: Casares, the hill village about 11 km west of Estepona as the crow flies, gets about 3 min 32 s, six seconds less than the beach. Los Reales gets 3 min 21 s, and the road up runs through forest. 2 August falls in Andalucía's high wildfire-risk season (1 June to 15 October), when driving motor vehicles on forest land is restricted. TresEclipses leaves forest viewpoints out of its rankings for this reason and warns that access may be closed.

Whatever spot you choose, keep your glasses on for the whole partial phase: our guide on how to use eclipse glasses safely explains each step.

What is the weather like in Estepona in early August?

Usually sunny and hot. Jay Anderson's Eclipsophile, the standard reference on eclipse weather, says Atlantic cloud usually does not get into the Strait of Gibraltar past Tarifa, "so Marbella and other sites along the Alboran coast fare particularly well." Estepona is on that same coast, but closer to the Strait than Marbella. Eclipsophile notes that air trapped under the summer inversion there "often (but not always) turns to fog, stratus, and haze" in the morning, and that the Levante, the easterly wind through the Strait, is the more persistent of the two local winds. On a Levante morning, check the sky early and be ready to move a few kilometres along the coast. eclipse-solaire.fr reports a usable sky in Estepona at the time of maximum on 2 August in each of the last ten years (2016 to 2025); that is a record of the past, not a forecast.

For temperature and sunshine we use AEMET's nearest climate-normals station, at Málaga airport, about 65 km up the coast: it averages a high of 30.8 °C in August, with 316 hours of sunshine, 17.1 clear days and just 6 mm of rain in the month (1981 to 2010). You will be outdoors for over two hours: bring water, a hat and some shade.

Tember solar eclipse glasses in four frame colours (Image: Tember)
Certified eclipse glasses for the partial phases before and after totality (Image: Tember)

How do you get to Estepona for the eclipse?

  • By air: the nearest airport is Gibraltar, about 45 km away. Málaga airport, the main one for the Costa del Sol, is about 80 km away. Both are inside the path of totality.
  • By bus from Málaga airport: Avanza runs direct buses from the airport to Estepona; on the timetable valid from 2 January 2026 there are 17 departures listed, 13 of them every day, and the trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. Check the 2027 timetable before you travel.
  • By bus along the coast: long-distance buses link Estepona with San Pedro Alcántara, Marbella and Málaga to the east, and with La Línea de la Concepción and Algeciras (about 48 km) to the west. Avanza also runs the town's urban buses.
  • No train: there is no railway to Estepona. A Costa del Sol line from Málaga via Marbella is planned but not built.
  • By car: the free A-7 and the AP-7 toll motorway both run along the coast. 2 August 2027 is an ordinary working Monday in high season, so set off early and park legally.

2 August 2027 is not a public holiday in Andalucía; the regional August holiday is Monday 16 August (Decree 84/2026). Estepona's two local holidays for 2027 had not been published when we checked.

Is Estepona planning anything for the eclipse?

Nothing announced yet. As of 7 November 2026 we found no 2027 eclipse event, viewing area or traffic plan from Estepona town council, and no reports of council events for the partial eclipse of 12 August 2026. The Junta de Andalucía names Estepona, Casares and Manilva among the 58 municipalities in Málaga province (115 in Andalucía) where the eclipse is total. It plans a "mirror day" on 10 May 2027, when the Sun stands in almost the same place as during the eclipse, to check heights, directions and obstacles at viewing sites. We will add Estepona's plans here when they are published.

When can you take your eclipse glasses off in Estepona?

Only during totality: in the town centre from about 10:46:20 to 10:49:58, when the Moon covers the Sun completely. Before that, from 09:41, and after, until 12:01, you are watching a partial eclipse and need eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 (in Europe, EN ISO 12312-2 with a CE mark). Sunglasses are never enough. Put your glasses back on the moment the first bright point of sunlight returns. If you are not sure the eclipse is total where you stand, keep them on.

Already have a pair? Read ISO 12312-2 explained: how to check a certificate, whether 2026 glasses can be reused in 2027 and what doctors know about eclipse eye damage. More answers are in our eclipse glasses FAQ.

Tember eclipse glasses are certified to EN ISO 12312-2:2015 and carry the CE mark; the certificate and test reports are on our compliance documents page. They come in packs of 4 to 100 pairs, for families, groups and hotels. See the glasses. Planning a trip with a guide? See our roundup of Spain total eclipse tours.

FAQ

Is Estepona in the path of totality in 2027?

Yes. The whole coast of Estepona is inside the path of the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027, about 40 km south of the northern limit. Totality lasts about 3 minutes 38 seconds in the town centre and on La Rada beach, and up to about 3 minutes 44 seconds at Bahía Dorada.

What time is the total eclipse in Estepona?

In the town centre totality runs from about 10:46:20 to 10:49:58 CEST (UTC+2), with maximum at 10:48:09. The partial eclipse starts at 09:41:26 and ends at 12:01:29.

Where near Estepona is totality longest?

To the south-west. Within Estepona it is about 3 minutes 44 seconds at Bahía Dorada. Further along the coast you get about 3 minutes 51 seconds in Sabinillas (Manilva), 4 minutes 05 seconds at Sotogrande and 4 minutes 27 seconds in Gibraltar.

Is the Sierra Bermeja a good place to watch the eclipse?

Not for totality. Los Reales is closer to the northern edge of the path and gets about 3 minutes 21 seconds, 17 seconds less than the beach. August is also the high wildfire-risk season, when motor vehicles on forest land are restricted and access may be closed.

How do I get from Málaga airport to Estepona?

Take a direct Avanza bus: about 1 hour 10 minutes on the 2026 timetable. There is no train. Gibraltar airport is closer, about 45 km away.

Can I look at the eclipse in Estepona without glasses?

Only during the roughly three and a half minutes of totality. For the partial phases before and after, from 09:41 to 12:01, use eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2.

Sources

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