ECLIPSE EXPEDITION 2026
a different kind of voyage
The Rafael Verdera is a sailing vessel from 1841, and I grew up here. I have always tried to make sure that people who come on board are not simply coming to spend a few hours on a boat, but to experience something a little different. So, if we were going to do something for the eclipse, I wanted it to make sense and, at the same time, remain accessible. That is where the idea came from to take the opportunity to do something more: a three-day expedition along the coast of Mallorca, discovering some of its coves, sailing, anchoring, swimming, sleeping in different places and ending the journey by watching the eclipse from the sea.
The voyage began in the Port of Sóller
During the first few days, there were very few of us and, in the end, I think that was one of the best things about the trip. When you spend several days on a boat, distances disappear pretty quickly. You share the deck, the table, the kitchen, the sailing and practically everything that happens throughout the day, so little by little you stop feeling like you have guests on board and simply start living alongside people who are sharing the experience with you.
We sailed along the coast of Mallorca, stopping according to the wind, the sea and whatever we felt like doing at each moment. There were swims, snorkelling, meals, time spent sailing and also many hours with nothing particularly planned.
And that, precisely, is part of what I like about this kind of trip.
Not everything has to be organised in advance. Sometimes you find a cove where you feel like staying a little longer, someone helps prepare the food, someone else becomes interested in how part of the boat works and, before you realise it, everyone starts taking part a little in life on board.
Anyone who spends several days on board starts to discover the boat in a different way: its spaces, its corners, the wood, and all the work that goes into keeping a boat built in 1841 sailing today.
THE DAY OF THE ECLIPSE
We finally arrived in Andratx, where more people joined us for the final part of the experience.
That day, there was already a different atmosphere on board. We had been talking about the eclipse for several days, and the moment had finally arrived. We headed out to sea once again with a fairly simple idea: get far enough from the coast to have a completely clear horizon and find the best possible spot to watch it.
Little by little, the Moon began to cover the Sun. At first, everyone was still talking, taking photos, looking through their eclipse glasses and commenting on what was happening, but as the eclipse progressed, the atmosphere began to change.
The light started to feel strange, the temperature dropped, and more and more people fell silent, looking up at the sky.
Until the moment finally came
The Sun was almost completely covered by the Moon and that ring of fire appeared.
And honestly, it was incredible.
I had seen photographs and videos many times, but seeing it live, and from the sea, was something completely different. For a few minutes, it felt as though something completely out of the ordinary was happening. Everyone was looking at the same point, with the Mediterranean all around us and that strange light that looks like nothing we normally see.
After so many months of talking about the eclipse, it is surprising how quickly it passes. It only lasts a few minutes, but they were spectacular.
When it was over, we all raised a toast together and set course for Port Adriano.
And already thinking about 2027
On the way back, we almost immediately started talking about 2027.
The curious thing is that the eclipse did not leave us with the feeling that we had finished an experience and could simply move on. Quite the opposite. It left us wanting to do something similar again, to find another special place from which to watch it and, above all, to turn it into a voyage once again rather than simply a few hours out at sea.
The next eclipse will cross Spain again, with Andalusia playing a major role. I still don't know exactly what we will do or where we will depart from, but after what we experienced in Mallorca, I have a pretty clear idea of how I would like to approach it.
