Earthquake off Gran Canaria: the strongest in five years — what tourists and expats need to know

What it felt like — and where

At 9:50 a.m. on the dot, glasses rattled for a few seconds, lamps swayed, dogs barked. In Las Palmas hundreds rang 112 — not because anything had happened, but because they wanted to check they hadn't imagined it. It was reported from Gáldar, Agaete, Ingenio, Agüimes, Carrizal, San Mateo, Valleseco and Puerto de las Nieves too. In Betancuria on Fuerteventura, window panes rattled for around 20 seconds. It even reached Tenerife — faintly, but felt.

If you were lying on the beach or dozing by the pool at a hotel down south — Maspalomas, Meloneras, Playa del Inglés — you probably noticed nothing at all. Inland and in the north it was clearer.

Why the quake interests geologists

Itahiza Domínguez, the IGN's director for the Canaries, called the quake «inusual» — unusual — on Televisión Canaria. Three things make it interesting:

1. Tectonic, not volcanic. 99.9 per cent certain. Meaning: nothing to do with magma, not Teide, not La Palma's Cumbre Vieja, not any eruption.
2. Rare for this zone. The patch of seabed 61 kilometres north of Las Palmas is seismically quiet. «There's something there that's accumulating energy,» Domínguez said — a line that lit up social media. What he meant: where strain slowly builds up underground, it eventually releases. That release was now. It does not mean something bigger is on the way.
3. Three islands at once. A Canarian quake being felt in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Tenerife at the same time is unusual. The odd bit: in northern Fuerteventura it was felt more strongly than in Tenerife — even though Tenerife is closer. For seismologists, a valuable data point on how earthquake waves travel under the Canarian seabed.

Is there more coming?

Short answer: probably not. Long answer: nobody can know for sure. Domínguez doesn't rule out aftershocks or another quake of similar size later in the day — but says that isn't the most likely scenario. «It's impossible to predict,» he admits. The zone is poorly studied because it's usually too quiet.

What he does rule out: tsunami risk. That would need a far higher magnitude and a different quake geometry. A 4.8 at 30 kilometres deep does not shift the seabed in any measurable way.

What to do if it happens again

Strong quakes are rare in the Canaries, but not impossible. The last one this size was in 2021. If the ground shakes again:

1. Stay indoors if you're indoors. Don't bolt outside in panic — most injuries happen from falling roof tiles and glass at the doorway.
2. Away from windows. Towards a load-bearing wall or under a solid table. Cover your head and neck.
3. Outdoors: away from façades. Towards open ground — a square, the beach, a car park. Not under balconies, not next to high walls.
4. In the car: stop. But not on a bridge, not under an underpass. Wait until it's over.
5. Avoid lifts, even after the all-clear — power cuts can trap you.

If you felt it today: the IGN collects citizen reports via a form at ign.es or in the «Sismología IGN» app. Every report helps seismologists piece the wave pattern together.

How seismic are the Canaries?

The Canaries sit on a volcanic hotspot, not on a plate boundary. That makes strong tectonic quakes rare — far rarer than in Andalusia or around the Mediterranean. What does happen regularly are deep microquakes, especially under Tenerife and La Palma, linked to magma movement. Right now the IGN is logging around 63 of these faint tremors under Teide National Park — all routine, low frequency, no acute meaning.

Today's 4.8 stands out because it is not part of that volcanic routine. But it was also a quake most tourists on the beach simply slept through. Which is exactly how it should be.

Frequently asked questions

How strong was the earthquake off Gran Canaria?

The quake on Friday, 22 May 2026 had a magnitude of 4.8 (mbLg). The epicentre lay 61 kilometres north of Las Palmas in the Atlantic, 30 kilometres deep. It was the strongest in the region in about five years — the last quake of this size was in 2021.

Was there any damage or were there injuries?

No. The maximum intensity on land was grade III out of XII — the quake was only lightly felt. There was no damage and no injuries. A magnitude 2.2 aftershock followed at 10:24 a.m.

Is the earthquake linked to a volcano?

No. According to Itahiza Domínguez of the IGN, the quake is 99.9 per cent certain to be tectonic in origin — it has nothing to do with magma, Teide or the Cumbre Vieja on La Palma.

Is there a tsunami risk for the Canary Islands?

No. A tsunami would require a far higher magnitude and a different quake geometry. A magnitude 4.8 quake 30 kilometres deep does not shift the seabed in any measurable way.

What should I do during an earthquake in the Canaries?

If you are indoors, stay indoors, move away from windows towards a load-bearing wall or under a solid table, and protect your head and neck. Outdoors, keep clear of façades, balconies and high walls. In a car, stop — but not on a bridge or under an underpass. Avoid lifts, even after the all-clear.