On August 12th, something historic will happen in Spain: the first total solar eclipse visible from the Iberian Peninsula in more than 100 years. That said, it won’t be the same across our geography: there are places where it won’t be visible at all and others where it can be observed in all its splendor.
Teruel, especially the Maestrazgo comarca, will be one of the privileged sites to witness the Sun darken completely.
The perfect plan to enjoy it with your camper or even with your car
One of the plans that many Spaniards have for this summer is to see the total solar eclipse that will occur on August 12. Many already have a destination to witness it in all its splendor, but others have not yet decided from where to view it. For these, a good recommendation is the Maestrazgo comarca, in Teruel.
Teruel is located in the exact center of the geographic band from which the eclipse will be seen perfectly, named the Totality Band. This means that, when this astronomical phenomenon occurs, the Aragonese province will be one of the areas of the peninsula where total darkness lasts the longest, up to 1 minute and 39 seconds in places like Valdelinares.
The Montoro organs.
Furthermore, the province of Teruel has a very elevated average altitude and in Maestrazgo and the rest of the Turolese mountain ranges, this is an advantage because atmospheric and light pollution is almost nil and it allows for a better view of the solar corona, that is, the halo of light surrounding the Sun during the eclipse.
The same day as the eclipse there will also be a peak of maximum Perseid activity, so it will coincide with a meteor shower (the ‘Tears of Saint Lawrence’), allowing you to continue enjoying astronomy that very night under one of the clearest skies in Europe.
If you still haven’t decided, there’s another reason to view the eclipse in this area: gastronomy. Whether you go by car to the countryside or bring a camper, it’s easy to enjoy local gastronomy because you can prepare a very simple and delicious dinner based on Teruel ham, the first ham in Spain with a Denomination of Origin.
Cañada de Benatanduz.
You can also include in the menu bull cecina because it is very typical of Maestrazgo. And the traditional slaughter sausages, such as loin, longaniza and rib, which are usually preserved in olive oil, so you can enjoy them without needing to prepare anything
This area is also known for Aragón lamb (ternasco) and traditional stews, but it is more difficult to enjoy these dishes in the middle of the field. You can leave them to visit a restaurant the next day.
What you can do is stop by a pastry shop before heading to the field to enjoy the traditional Maestrazgo pastries with soul cakes, almond cookies and carquiñoles or with the poor man’s shortbread and sequillos.
Images | Teruel ham, Wikipedia and Unsplash
