“The impact was very significant for the region, particularly for the hotel and restaurant industries, local commerce, and the promotion of its heritage,” said Isabel Ferreira, who watched the phenomenon at the Bragança airfield, where thousands of people had gathered during the afternoon.

The mayor also revealed that local rental accommodations and hotels in the region were fully booked very early on—a highly positive and important development for the sector.

“Certainly, spending on accommodation and hotels alone amounted to over 300,000 euros for the night,” she highlighted.

Describing Bragança as the “solar eclipse capital” of Portugal, Isabel Ferreira noted that this title gave the city a “well-deserved prominence” in a country that often overlooks its interior regions.

“Bragança deserves this spotlight because it possesses natural, cultural, and heritage resources; indeed, it is a privileged area that deserves to be known,” she remarked.

The total solar eclipse turned day into night in Bragança; the moment light gave way to darkness, accompanied by a brief breeze, elicited smiles, applause, cheers, and tears from the crowd.

As the moon gradually obscured the sun and daylight faded, the thousands of people gathered at the Bragança airfield grew increasingly enthusiastic, shouting things like “it’s almost time” or “just a little longer now.”

Shortly after 7:30 pm, when the moon completely covered the sun, exclamations such as “wow,” “awesome,” “wonderful,” “stunning,” and “fantastic” could be heard throughout the crowd.

In Portugal, yesterday’s solar eclipse was total (100%) only within a limited area of ​​the Montesinho Natural Park, near Bragança. In the rest of the country, the eclipse was partial, ranging from 92% to 99% across the mainland and from 74% to 77% in the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are perfectly aligned, and the Moon completely obscures the solar disk for a few moments.