The 2 August 2027 total eclipse in Tangier and northern Morocco, 6 days

The morning of 2 August

On Monday 2 August 2027, the Moon's shadow crosses the Strait of Gibraltar and northern Morocco before racing on towards Egypt. Tangier lies in the path of totality, and it happens in the morning.

Here is the sequence in Tangier, in local time. Morocco has been on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) all year round since 20 September 2026: in August, it is 1 hour behind London.

• 07:40: the Moon starts to cut into the Sun's disc. This is the partial phase, lasting a little over an hour.
• Around 08:45: totality begins. The sky turns to twilight, the temperature drops, the solar corona appears.
• Around 08:47: maximum eclipse. Totality lasts about 4 min 50 s.
• 10:00: the partial phase ends.

The Sun is then nearly 38° above the horizon, high in the sky. There is no need to hunt for a clear horizon: the hotel garden or a terrace will do, as long as no building hides the Sun. Some apps and calculation sites still treat Morocco as UTC+1 (Coordinated Universal Time plus one hour) and show times an hour too late: rely on the times above.

Protecting your eyes. According to NASA (the US space agency), you may look at the Sun unprotected only during totality, when the Moon covers it completely; before and after, you need glasses meeting ISO 12312-2, the international standard for direct solar viewing filters. Put them back on as soon as the first flash of sunlight reappears. Binoculars, cameras and telescopes need their own solar filter, fitted to the front of the optics: eclipse glasses behind a lens are not enough. Children should watch under adult supervision. Throw away any scratched or damaged pair.

Six days around the eclipse

Saturday 31 July: arrival. Tangier-Ibn Battouta airport is about twenty minutes from the Fairmont Tazi Palace, a 1926 palace in a 3.6-hectare park on Boubana hill. The outdoor pool, open from April to October, makes for a quiet first evening.

Sunday 1 August: Tangier. The 3-hour guided tour listed in this itinerary runs from the Grand Socco to the Mendoubia gardens, then through the medina to the kasbah, where the former sultan's palace houses a museum of Moroccan arts. In the afternoon, pick your viewing spot and get glasses and camera gear ready. Go to bed early.

Monday 2 August: the eclipse. Settle in around 07:30 local time, before first contact. Once the eclipse ends, at 10:00, the rest of the day is free. The day trip listed in this itinerary, to Cape Spartel, the Caves of Hercules and Asilah, can go here, or on Sunday if you prefer a quiet Monday.

Tuesday 3 August: Tetouan, then Chefchaouen. Tangier to Tetouan is about 1 h 20 by road. The Tetouan medina, inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1997, is ringed by walls about 5 km long with seven gates; UNESCO describes it as one of the smallest medinas in Morocco, and the most complete. Next to it, the Ensanche, the Spanish protectorate town, is easy on foot. Then about 1 h 30 by road to Chefchaouen. Cars cannot reach Lina Ryad & Spa: let the house know so they can collect your bags at the edge of the medina.

Wednesday 4 August: Chefchaouen. In the morning, the 2-hour guided tour listed in this itinerary: Bab el Ain, Outa el Hammam square, the kasbah and its museum, Ras el Ma. In August, start early: the alleys are calmer before the day-trippers arrive. For a walk, the Akchour waterfalls and God's Bridge, a natural arch in Talassemtane National Park, are about 50 minutes away by road. Late in the day, the riad's spa, with its hammam and heated indoor pool, open from 12:00 to 21:00 local time.

Thursday 5 August: departure. Chefchaouen to Tangier airport, 112 km, a little over two hours by road.

For these drives, Sabaro recommends a car with driver. In the Rif, it is best to avoid secondary roads at night and not to stop there during the day; the Al Hoceima–Chefchaouen–Tetouan route poses fewer problems.

Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice. Your country's advice:

Why Tangier

The whole region of this trip lies within the path of totality, but its length varies from town to town:

• Tangier: about 4 min 50 s;
• Tetouan: about 4 min 55 s;
• Asilah: about 4 min 49 s;
• Chefchaouen: a little over 4 minutes;
• Tarifa, on the Spanish coast opposite: about 4 min 41 s.

Fez, further south, is outside the path and will only see a partial eclipse. Tangier and Tetouan have the longest totality in the region, within a second of each other; Tangier adds the widest choice of hotels, an airport and the Al Boraq high-speed train station. Sleeping on site the night before means no driving on eclipse morning.

August in the north

Early August is peak season in Morocco and Spain alike, and rooms within the path of totality will go early: Sabaro recommends booking now, and Chefchaouen has few places to stay. The coastal climate remains bearable: according to the 1991–2020 normals of the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) for the Tetouan station, the average maximum in July and August is 30 °C, and there is almost no rain from June to August.

For a beach day, Tamuda Bay, about thirty minutes from Tetouan, has 15 km of sand on the Mediterranean. It fits on Tuesday, between Tetouan and Chefchaouen, if you shorten your medina visit.

Variations

• Come from Spain. Ferries link Tarifa with Tangier Ville port in about an hour: you can combine Andalusia and northern Morocco.
• Extend to Fez. Chefchaouen to Fez is 194 km, about 3 h 24 by road; Fez deserves three days.
• The other eclipse. The same eclipse lasts about 6 min 20 s in Egypt, near Luxor, around 13:05 local time: you have to choose one country for 2 August, and Sabaro offers an itinerary for each.