The verdict
Nador is a practical eastern base with room to compare coastal and inland conditions. It is especially useful for travelers who plan the border and local transport details before eclipse morning.
The eastern horizon
Maximum occurs with the Sun about 41 degrees high at an azimuth of 96.7 degrees. The Mar Chica lagoon and open ground can help, but buildings, port infrastructure and the Cap des Trois Fourches terrain require site-specific checks. The Sun is high enough that a perfectly flat horizon is not essential at totality, yet an open east view improves the full partial-phase experience.
Weather and alternatives
Eastern Mediterranean cloud can affect Nador and nearby Melilla even during the dry season. Conditions around the lagoon, headlands and inland plain may differ. Compare actual cloud bases and wind direction rather than assuming that every point on the coast shares one forecast. Dust and haze can also reduce photographic contrast without preventing the eclipse.
Getting there
Nador Al Aroui Airport serves the region, and roads connect the city with Beni Ansar, Melilla and the interior. Border queues are an unacceptable eclipse-morning dependency. If your accommodation and viewing site are on different sides, cross well in advance and remember that the clocks differ by two hours in August.
Build a fallback
Keep options around the lagoon, north toward Beni Ansar and Cap des Trois Fourches, and inland toward drier-looking skies. Melilla offers a clear sea-facing urban geometry but shares much of the coastal weather risk. Choose the side of the border the night before whenever possible, then make only local movements on eclipse morning.
35.1681° N, -2.9335° E. Research contact times are approximate, with around 10 seconds uncertainty reported in the original calculation.
Source and uncertainty notes