The total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, became one of the biggest tourism events of the year for Spain and Iceland, causing a sharp increase in short-term rental bookings in cities located within the totality zone.
According to a study by the analytics platform AirDNA, published on July 29, 2026, demand for short-term rentals in Zaragoza, Spain, for dates around the eclipse rose by 123% compared to the same period last year. In Logroño, the increase reached 109%; in Burgos, 65%; in Valladolid, 64%; and in León, 63%. In Kópavogur, Iceland, the figure rose by 48%, and in Reykjavík, by 44%.
The path of totality will pass through Greenland, western Iceland, northern Spain, and a small section of northeastern Portugal. In most other European countries, the eclipse will be partial. Spain will be one of the prime viewing locations, as the total eclipse phase will cross the country from west to east and continue over the Balearic Islands.
The strongest impact on rental prices is expected in Iceland. The western and southern regions of the country, which fall within the path of totality, account for about 60.6% of the national supply of short-term rentals.
At the same time, the country’s entire market consists of only about 8,300 available properties. Given the limited supply, even a short-term influx of tourists could significantly increase the average cost of accommodation nationwide.
AirDNA expects that Iceland will see the most significant increase in the average daily rental rate. Additional demand is being driven not only by foreign tourists but also by residents, as a total solar eclipse has not been observed in Iceland for over half a century.
Interest is also extending to related events. A week before the eclipse, more than 90% of tickets for a four-day themed festival in Iceland had already sold out.
In Spain, approximately 86,300 short-term rental properties fall within the path of totality, representing 22.6% of the country’s total supply, which AirDNA estimates at roughly 382,400 listings.
Thus, in the Spanish eclipse zone alone, there are more than 16 times as many properties available as in Iceland’s entire short-term rental market. This allows Spain to accommodate significantly more tourists and keeps price increases in check, despite high demand.
Among the destinations expected to be in highest demand are Bilbao, León, Burgos, Zaragoza, Valencia, and Palma de Mallorca. Madrid and Barcelona are outside the path of totality, although a partial eclipse will be visible there as well.
Spain also has a more extensive network of air connections and a significantly larger supply of hotels and rental properties. Therefore, analysts consider it a more suitable option for travelers who book their trip immediately before the event.
However, the cost of specific accommodations can change rapidly. Property owners and management companies use dynamic pricing, automatically raising rates as demand increases and the number of available options decreases.
To assess the potential impact, AirDNA used data on the total solar eclipse in North America in April 2024. At that time, the occupancy rate for short-term rental properties in the total eclipse zone reached 88%, and the average daily rate increased by 18.4%. These figures are not a direct forecast for Europe, but they demonstrate the impact of a rare astronomical event on local rental markets.
The official primary source of data on the short-term rental market is the AirDNA study dated July 29, 2026. The eclipse path has been confirmed by the European Space Agency and NASA.
