Milky Way

The galactic core, with the naked eye

Without moonlight and away from cities, the Milky Way's core is visible to the naked eye from much of Spain between late February and late September.

When to look

The galactic core is visible from late February to late September, with the best window from late March to late August, in the early hours (00:00-05:00). Its position shifts through the year: southeast in spring (February-May), south in midsummer (June-August), and southwest in autumn (September-October).

What conditions you need

Moon illumination under 30% (or below the horizon) and a dark sky, away from city skyglow. With more moonlight or more light pollution, the core gets masked before disappearing entirely.

12-13 ago 2026

The perfect night already has a date

On 12 August 2026 the Moon is completely new — the same night as the eclipse and the Perseids' peak. On paper, it's the best night of the year to see the Milky Way from Spain.

See the triple event →

Spain's 21 Starlight reserves

The Starlight Foundation certifies destinations with exceptionally dark skies. Spain has more than any other country — here's the full list, by year of certification.

  1. 2012La Palma
  2. 2013Cumbres de Tenerife
  3. 2013El Montsec
  4. 2014Sierra Sur de Jaén
  5. 2014Sierra Morena
  6. 2015Fuerteventura
  7. 2016Los Pedroches
  8. 2016Gúdar-Javalambre
  9. 2017AlbanyàDarkSky
  10. 2018Cuencas Mineras
  11. 2018Aigüestortes
  12. 2019Menorca
  13. 2020Sierra de Albarracín
  14. 2020Gredos
  15. 2022Cielos de Guadalajara
  16. 2023Provincia de Soria
  17. 2024Sierra Mágina
  18. 2024Cazorla
  19. 2024Segura de Jaén
  20. 2025Cabrera
  21. 2025Alto Turia
  22. 2026Porto-Alta Sanabria
Listed without a map: these names refer to regions or mountain ranges, not always a single municipality our data can pin down unambiguously — rather than invent a coordinate, we leave it out.Source: Starlight Foundation (official list) + DarkSky International (Albanyà, Girona).