For weeks, the earth has been trembling beneath Mount Teide on Tenerife — thousands of microquakes, swarms every one to two weeks, and a mayor publicly stating: "What is happening right now is not normal." International media are already reporting on emergency plans and magma movement. For tourists on Gran Canaria, the question is: How dangerous is the situation really? CITA News, your Gran Canaria news source, puts the facts in perspective.

What Is Happening Beneath Teide?

The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) has been recording repeated earthquake swarms beneath the Las Cañadas caldera since February 2026 — the massive crater in which Teide stands. On 14 March alone, 21 quakes with magnitudes between 1.1 and 1.8 were located. In the week of 6 to 13 March, 196 quakes were recorded across the Canary archipelago, the strongest at magnitude 2.6.

Notably, these are not classic tectonic tremors but so-called hybrid and low-frequency signals. For volcanologists, this means: fluids — possibly magma — are moving through rock fractures underground. Since 2016, monitoring stations have also measured elevated CO2 emissions on Tenerife.

Teide Earthquakes — The Facts

Tremors since February: Thousands of microquakes, swarms every 1–2 weeks

Strongest quake: Magnitude 2.6 (13 March 2026)

Depth: 8–16 km beneath the Las Cañadas caldera

Volcanic status Tenerife: GREEN — no immediate danger

Volcanic status Gran Canaria: GREEN — weak seismicity

Last eruption Teide system: 1909 (Chinyero, at the foot of Teide)

Emergency Plans in Santa Cruz

José Manuel Bermúdez, Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has established a technical commission. Various scenarios are being assessed and emergency plans drawn up. Authorities stress: there are currently no signs of an imminent eruption. The volcanic alert level remains Green.

Nevertheless, the frequency and density of swarms has been increasing for years. Scientists estimate the probability of an eruption within the next 50 years at 30 to 40 per cent. The last eruption in the Teide system was in 1909 at the Chinyero volcano.

What Does This Mean for Gran Canaria?

Weak seismicity is also being recorded on Gran Canaria — a quake on 13 March was even located in the sea area between Tenerife and Gran Canaria. However, the volcanic status for Gran Canaria remains Green. The islands are 60 kilometres apart. An eruption at Teide would have no direct physical impact on Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés or the south of Gran Canaria.

The greatest risk for tourism on Gran Canaria would not be lava or ash, but an image effect: if international media combine "Canaries" and "volcanic eruption" in a headline, bookings for all islands could decline — even if Gran Canaria is unaffected. This was demonstrated during the La Palma eruption of 2021, when all Canary Islands suffered a booking downturn.

Assessment: No Reason for Panic

Volcanologists stress: such phases of volcanic unrest can continue for years without resulting in an eruption. Teide is monitored around the clock with over 100 measuring stations. There are no ground deformations indicating an imminent eruption. Since the La Palma eruption in 2021, the Canary Islands have massively expanded their monitoring systems and emergency plans.

More information on seismic activity from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional.