A 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck Tabernas in Almeria province with residents and Brit tourists reporting beds shaking and furniture rattling – the tremor was felt across more than 100 municipalities
Spanish holiday destinations favoured by British holidaymakers have been rocked by an earthquake. The tremor’s epicentre was in the town of Tabernas, but it was felt throughout the entire province of Almeria.
The seismic event occurred just before 1am today. So far, no damage has been reported, but locals and several Brits recounted their beds shaking and furniture vibrating.
One individual described the sensation as “like a lorry scraping across the side of my house.” The National Geographic Institute recorded the event at 12.55am, initially measuring it as a magnitude 4.5 quake before revising it to 4.3.
The epicentre was near the Desierto de Tabernas solar plant and was extremely shallow, at the Earth’s surface, which is why the impact was more pronounced.
According to initial reports from local residents, the earthquake was felt across a large portion of the province. “He was sleeping, and the whole bed had moved,” one person reported.
“I was on the sofa, and it has moved backwards,” another added.
Tabernas’ mayor, José Díaz, confirmed that the tremor was strongly felt in the town: “What a fright we had; the whole house shook,” he exclaimed. Just minutes after the earthquake, residents took to the streets to assess any potential damage.
The National Geographic Institute has noted minor aftershocks occurring shortly after the main quake, with the epicentre also located in Tabernas, albeit closer to the urban centre.
Up to now, five minor tremors have followed the primary quake. These measured 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.5 and 1.9 in magnitude respectively, striking at 1.03am, 1.06am, 1.09am, 1.16am and 1.23am.
Their epicentres were situated much deeper underground: at depths of 13 km, 6km, 7km, 11km and 3km.
The tremor was powerfully felt across more than 100 municipalities, based on accounts gathered by the National Geographic Institute, spanning at least four provinces: Almeria, Murcia, Granada and Jaén.
Today’s Tabernas earthquake occurred merely three days following another seismic event that alarmed sections of Almeria province.
On Thursday (February 12) at 10.05am, a tremor in Partaloa caused the earth to shake. This magnitude 3.2 earthquake was experienced across nearly a dozen municipalities throughout the Almanzora Valley area.
Last year, on July 14, Almeria experienced one of its most powerful earthquakes in years. Luckily, the epicentre lay beneath the sea, southeast of Cabo de Gata, preventing serious damage.
The magnitude 5.3 tremor marked the strongest seismic activity in 70 years.
On February 14, the National Geographic Institute released a bulletin regarding a sequence of earthquakes affecting the Malaga area.
It stated: “Since February 3, 2026, the National Seismic Network of the IGN has recorded 287 small-magnitude earthquakes, mostly M<3, with M3.8 being the maximum magnitude observed.
“These earthquakes are located southwest of the province of Málaga and southeast of the province of Cádiz, between the Sierra de Grazalema and the coast of Estepona, at very shallow depths, mostly less than 10 km (Figure 1). This information is subject to continuous review.
“Many earthquakes are being felt by the population in towns near the epicentral area of the provinces of Málaga and Cádiz.
“The IGN (National Geographic Institute) has been able to assess the macroseismic intensity of 42 of them, with the maximum observed intensity being IV. The IGN has received more than 440 questionnaires through its website and mobile application since the beginning of the series.”