Towns including Marbella, Estepona, Torre del Mar and Campanillas were affected.

14:47, Thu, Mar 19, 2026 Updated: 15:01, Thu, Mar 19, 2026

A view of tourists ambling along the promenade in Marbella

Shockwaves were felt in tourist hotspots, including Marbella (Image: Getty)

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake in the sea off Spain hit Malaga and the Costa del Sol with shockwaves. The quake struck just after midnight on Wednesday (March 18), according to reports.

Local media said there were no injuries, but the after effects sparked "unease" across the affected areas. Towns including Marbella, Estepona, Torre del Mar and Campanillas were affected, Spain's National Geographic Institute is reported to have confirmed.

Tremors were reported in Alhaurin el Grande, Arroyo de la Miel, and Benalmadena, according to local media outlet the Olive Press.

Spain's National Geographic Institute reported that the quake was recorded more than 50 miles down in the western Alboran Sea, which lies between the Iberian peninsula and north Africa.

Reports of the quake come after a 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Spanish town of Tabernas and Almeria province just before 1am on February 16.

José Díaz, Mayor of Tabernas, said at the time that his whole house shook, adding: "What a fright we had."

That quake was reported to have been felt in Murcia, Granada, Jaén and Almeria, where tremors were felt three days earlier.

Southern Spain lies at the heart of a particularly active earthquake region as the European and African tectonic plates converge.

Most quakes are small, but strong enough to be felt by people in southern Spain, especially in Málaga, Almería, Granada and Murcia, which lie on top of a system of faults.

A majority of tremors fall below magnitude 3, although thousands are recorded by the National Geographic Institute each year.

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Despite its increased seismic activity, experts say southern Spain is not at imminent risk of disaster, according to Euro Weekly News.

Authorities in Spain are said to be have systems in place to deal with quakes of different intensity and building regulations account for seismic risk.