The total eclipse on August 12 fills bars and hotels in Sant Elm. The manager of Es Poropo estimates that around 200 foreign residents will return to see it.
On August 12, Mallorca will be one of the places on the planet where a total solar eclipse can be observed. And the excitement is already palpable in Sant Elm, the small coastal village in the municipality of Andratx. Michelle, the manager of the bar Es Poropo, has decided to open specifically in August, a month when she usually closes. "They come back just to see it," she explains. She estimates that around 200 people will return from the international community living in the village, mostly British, German, Swedish, and Danish.
However, the interest goes far beyond the residents. Just a few meters away, at the bar Sa Calma, Carlos has been receiving calls for weeks to reserve tables from as far away as Indonesia or the United States. Many of these calls carry the same confusion: they believe that the eclipse will be fully visible from the promenade. "I have to keep explaining that it won't be visible from here because sa Dragonera blocks it," he says. To those who insist, he recommends finding a boat or heading towards the Serra de Tramuntana to view the totality.
The astronomical phenomenon, which will last approximately one and a half minutes of total darkness, has mobilised the entire tourism sector of the island. Hotels, beach clubs, restaurants, nautical companies, and nightlife venues have turned the eclipse into the major attraction of the summer. They are offering themed dinners, DJ parties, boat outings, and certified glasses, with reserved spaces from terraces facing west. The offer is designed for an audience willing to travel thousands of kilometres to witness the phenomenon.
In addition to the usual August tourist —seeking sun and beach— astronomy enthusiasts, specialised photographers, scientists, and travellers who have been planning this moment for years have also booked accommodation well in advance to secure a good spot to view the totality. The sector expects an unprecedented influx, and the authorities are finalising the operation to manage it.
Meanwhile, in Sant Elm, life goes on. Michelle believes that a good portion of the visitors will end up moving to various points in the Serra de Tramuntana or booking kayaking excursions to circle sa Dragonera and view the phenomenon from the sea. She assures that the village is naturally accepting the arrival of more visitors. "People are already aware that a lot of people will come," she sums up. Carlos, for his part, views the event with detachment: "For me, it's an eclipse that happens every many years and that's it," he says, before returning to serve another table.
For the residents of Andratx and all of Mallorca, the eclipse will be a unique event that, beyond tourist interest, will offer a natural spectacle that is hard to replicate. Those wishing to see the totality are advised to thoroughly inform themselves about the observation points and, if possible, to avoid driving in the hours leading up to it to prevent traffic congestion on the Tramuntana roads.
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