Totally Spain Solar Eclipse

Total Solar Eclipse © Brian Gibbons

A festive exploration of the natural history and culture of northwestern Spain, featuring the birds of steppe, mountain, and wetland habitats in León and Asturias. Our once-in-a-lifetime tour is planned around the dazzling celestial phenomenon of a total solar eclipse, and our base in the historic city of León lies right in the narrow band of totality.

Spain has long been known as a birder’s paradise, and VENT has offered tours across the Iberian Peninsula for many years. In 2026, VENT returns to the northwestern part of this immensely varied country to witness a very special event, a total eclipse of the sun. Our time together in Spain will be marked by excellent birding and cultural and culinary experiences, all shared with a congenial band of 42 participants and a superb team of leaders including Barry Lyon, Brian Gibbons, Rick Wright, Virgilio Beltran Jorda, and expert local guides.

For the eclipse itself, VENT has reserved the entirety of a winery in southern León, where we will enjoy dinner and the vineyard’s wines before turning our attention to the skies. VENT is pleased to feature Rob Broeren, an expert astronomer and skilled communicator, who will deliver informative presentations on advances in the general field of astronomy and on the mechanics of the solar eclipse. Rob will likewise be our expert guide for sessions with a solar telescope, and of course, he will provide interpretation throughout the eclipse on August 12.

Those who wish will be birding for part of every day, at sites ranging from Madrid’s Casa de Campo to the dry steppe surrounding León and the sheer mountainsides and lush coastal wetlands of Asturias. Even those who have made many trips to Spain may be surprised by how varied Iberia’s northwest is. We will be hoping for encounters with many of the peninsula’s special birds, among them European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Kingfisher, Bearded and Egyptian vultures, Spotless Starling, and “the Iberians”: Iberian Green Woodpecker, Iberian Gray Shrike, and Iberian Chiffchaff. Mammals are, as usual, more difficult to see, but the mountains of Asturias offer reasonable chances at Chamois or Western Spanish Ibex. We will also have the chance to visit some of Spain’s most treasured historic sites, including the Gothic cathedrals of León and Oviedo. There will be an option for further cultural outings, including a visit to the marvelously preserved throne room of a pre-Romanesque palace.

We have carefully structured this tour program to take full advantage of the astronomical, cultural, and natural historical riches of the region, and to create every opportunity to make new friendships on our field trips and during our evening social hours and meals. We are sure that you will take away fond memories of every aspect of this unrepeatable event.

Please note that the timing of celestial events and of Spanish meals alike is out of our hands. Many of our activities are optional, and we have scheduled a fair amount of free time during this tour, but guests who want to take part in all of our planned activities should be prepared for the occasional late evening followed by a departure as early as 7:00 the next morning.

Excellent accommodations in historic four-star hotels; outstanding regional cuisine; birding combined with astronomical viewings and visits to historic sites; physical demands light, though with some optional late evenings; weather ranging from hot in Madrid and León to delightfully cooler in the mountains and on the coasts of Asturias, with some chance of rain.

Great Bustard © Javier E. Pozo