Over 1,000 stories. One unforgettable journey.

When we launched our Spain Eclipse Giveaway a few weeks ago, we hoped it might encourage people to stop and think about someone else. 
 
We had no idea what was about to land in our inbox. 
 
Over the course of a month, more than one thousand nominations arrived from every corner of the UK. Stories of kindness, resilience, generosity and quiet courage. Some made us smile. Plenty moved us to tears. Choosing just one winner turned out to be far, far harder than we expected. But boy was it worth it... 

Our winner is Fiona Benjamin from Cardiff. 
 
Fiona was nominated by her cousin, following an extraordinarily difficult period in which she lost her husband while on a family holiday. The nomination painted a picture of a deeply spiritual family with a real love of nature, and suggested that witnessing one of the world's rarest natural events together might offer a moment of healing, hope and wonder. 

It was a story that struck a chord with every member of the panel. 

When we called Fiona to tell her she'd won, her reaction was everything we'd hoped this giveaway would be about. 

Fiona said: We've been through so much, to have something positive like this... it's just lovely. It's very touching and validating. In everything we've been through, to have somebody say we're worthy of this is very, very kind. 

Those words captured, better than we ever could, why we wanted to do this in the first place.

Most competitions ask the same thing: Why do you deserve to win? 
 
We wanted to flip that on its head. 
 
Instead of entering themselves, people had to nominate somebody else. A friend. A parent. A colleague. The neighbour who's quietly held the street together for twenty years. Someone who'd spent a lifetime putting others first, weathered something enormous, or simply made the people around them feel a bit brighter. 
 
Here's the thing – the response reminded us just how much quiet goodness there is out there. Every single nomination was a story of someone making a difference to somebody else's life. 

Once nominations closed, our team sat down and read every entry – all of them – before pulling together a shortlist for our judging panel. 
 
Joining us were broadcaster and author Kate Humble, the Chief Travel Writer of The Sunday Times, Chris Haslam, and the Deputy Counsellor for Tourism from the Spanish Tourist Office, Pedro Medina Asensio. 
 
Even trimming the shortlist felt almost impossible. A mountain of stories deserving to be heard. But eventually, Fiona’s nomination rose to the top. 

This August, Fiona and her daughter will spend eight nights exploring some of our favourite corners of northern Spain. 

Beginning in Bilbao, they'll discover the Basque coastline, wander through fishing villages and wetlands, enjoy exceptional food, stay in carefully chosen boutique hotels, and spend several days among the vineyards of Rioja Alavesa. 
 
Then, on the evening of 12 August 2026, they'll climb to a viewpoint overlooking the Ebro Valley to witness Spain's first total solar eclipse in more than 120 years. 
 
For just under two minutes, the Moon will slide completely across the Sun, turning day into night beneath one of nature's rarest spectacles. 
 
It's a journey we've spent years shaping and refining, and we're over the moon (if you'll excuse the pun) to be able to give Fiona and her daughter this opportunity.  

To everyone who took the time to nominate somebody: thank you. 

Your nominations reminded us why travel matters. Not simply because it takes us somewhere new, but because the best journeys have a way of shifting our perspective, creating memories, and handing us moments we carry for the rest of our lives. 

Reading your stories was a genuine privilege. 

There could only be one winner, but every nomination celebrated someone who had made the world a little brighter for the people around them. We're grateful you trusted us with those stories.

The countdown is well and truly on. In August 2026, thousands of people will travel to northern Spain to witness one of the most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. 
 
We'll be there alongside Fiona, sharing the journey as it unfolds and we can't wait to bring you with us. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see how their journey unfolds.

And if you fancy doing the trip for yourself, here's the journey: Basque Country Signature Drive