Residents in Málaga province could be living in areas where earthquake shaking capable of severely damaging buildings is considered possible. A new national civil protection guide places 34 municipalities in the province in its highest seismic hazard category, while requiring all 103 local councils to prepare plans for dealing with an earthquake.

The updated directive was published in Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE) on 10 October 10, replacing the previous framework dating from 1995. It is based on seismic hazard studies by Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN), not a prediction that an earthquake is about to happen. 

Which Málaga towns are on the highest-risk list?

The thirty-four municipalities are concentrated largely in the Axarquía, the area around Antequera and Málaga city itself. Several are popular with international residents and visitors, particularly along the eastern Costa del Sol.

The official list includes:

• Málaga city
• Axarquía and eastern Costa del Sol: Nerja, Torrox, Vélez-Málaga, Algarrobo, Frigiliana, Cómpeta, Canillas de Aceituno, Canillas de Albaida, Alcaucín, Almáchar, Benamargosa, Árchez, Arenas, Cútar, El Borge, Periana, Riogordo, Salares, Sayalonga, Sedella and Viñuela.
• Northern and inland Málaga: Antequera, Archidona, Alfarnate, Alfarnatejo, Casabermeja, Colmenar, Comares, Villanueva de Algaidas, Villanueva de la Concepción, Villanueva de Tapia, Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del Trabuco.

The list includes towns inland as well as coastal destinations. However, the western Costa del Sol resorts of Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos and Estepona do not appear in this highest-hazard category. That does not mean those towns are exempt from earthquake planning. They are among the municipalities covered by the wider provincial classification.

All 103 municipalities must prepare for earthquakes

The new directive places every municipality in Málaga province in the category where earthquake shaking of intensity VII or higher is considered possible under the assessment used for civil protection planning. That means all 103 local councils must prepare and implement local earthquake response plans within a maximum of four years.

The plans are intended to help authorities organise emergency services, assess damage, protect residents and coordinate the response if a significant earthquake occurs. For people living in the province, this is important. The 34 towns are in the higher category, where shaking of intensity VIII or above is considered possible. The other municipalities remain within the wider earthquake-planning framework.

What does ‘severely damaging’ actually mean?

The classification uses the European Macroseismic Scale, which measures the effects of an earthquake on people, buildings and the surrounding environment. Intensity VIII is described as severely damaging. Depending on the construction and condition of buildings, shaking at this level can cause substantial structural damage. Intensity VII, used for the wider planning category, can also cause damage.

The assessment uses a 475-year return period, equivalent to a 10 per cent probability of the specified ground motion being exceeded over 50 years. It does not mean an earthquake happens once every 475 years, or that one is due to strike a particular town. The guide is a tool for planning and reducing risk, not a forecast of the next earthquake. 

What happens next?

Local authorities must use the updated classification to prepare for a potential earthquake, including how they would alert the public, coordinate emergency responders, assess damaged buildings and protect people who may need assistance. For residents, the practical benefit of these plans will depend on how effectively they are developed and put into practice.

Knowing which services would respond, how emergency information would be communicated and where assistance would be available could make a difference if a serious earthquake occurred. The new directive does not mean residents should expect an earthquake in the near future. It means local councils have a formal responsibility to plan for the possibility.

Residents in Málaga province could be living in areas where earthquake shaking capable of severely damaging buildings is considered possible. A new national civil protection guide places 34 municipalities in the province in its highest seismic hazard category, while requiring all 103 local councils to prepare plans for dealing with an earthquake.

The updated directive now replaces the previous framework dating from 1995. It is based on seismic hazard studies by Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN) and establishes the requirements local authorities must follow when preparing for a possible earthquake.

Which Málaga towns are on the highest-hazard list?

The 34 municipalities identified in the classification are concentrated mainly in the Axarquía, around Antequera and in Málaga city itself. Several are popular with British residents and other international homeowners, particularly along the eastern Costa del Sol.

The official list includes:

• Málaga city: Málaga.
• Axarquía and eastern Costa del Sol: Nerja, Torrox, Vélez-Málaga, Algarrobo, Frigiliana, Cómpeta, Canillas de Aceituno, Canillas de Albaida, Alcaucín, Almáchar, Benamargosa, Árchez, Arenas, Cútar, El Borge, Periana, Riogordo, Salares, Sayalonga, Sedella and Viñuela.

Northern and inland Málaga: Antequera, Archidona, Alfarnate, Alfarnatejo, Casabermeja, Colmenar, Comares, Villanueva de Algaidas, Villanueva de la Concepción, Villanueva de Tapia, Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del Trabuco.

The inclusion of both coastal resorts and inland villages means the classification is relevant beyond the province’s busiest tourist destinations. Residents in smaller communities are also covered by the updated planning requirements. Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos and Estepona do not appear in this highest-hazard category. Their exclusion from the list of 34 does not mean they are exempt from earthquake preparedness, as the wider requirements apply across the province.

What must Málaga’s councils do?

All 103 municipalities must prepare and implement local earthquake response plans within a maximum of four years. These plans must establish how councils would coordinate emergency services, assess building damage, communicate with residents and organise assistance if a significant earthquake occurred. They must also consider evacuation arrangements, available resources and cooperation with neighbouring municipalities.

Smaller councils may use simplified plans under the directive, while provincial authorities can provide technical assistance. The aim is to ensure local administrations have practical arrangements in place before an emergency happens, rather than having to organise a response from scratch. For residents, the effectiveness of these preparations will depend on how clearly responsibilities are defined and how well the relevant services coordinate their work. Public information and arrangements for helping people who may need additional assistance are also important parts of local emergency planning.

What does the classification mean for homeowners?

Being included in the highest-hazard category does not mean every property in a municipality is equally vulnerable. The age, construction and condition of individual buildings can affect how they withstand earthquake shaking. The classification identifies areas where the possibility of more severe shaking must be considered when planning emergency responses. It does not predict when an earthquake will happen or establish that a particular property is unsafe.

The directive also places responsibility on local authorities to turn the updated classification into practical emergency arrangements. Residents can consult the official documentation to understand the requirements applying to their municipality and follow updates from their local council.

Local authorities must use the updated classification to prepare for a potential earthquake, including how they would alert the public, coordinate emergency responders, assess damaged buildings and protect people who may need assistance. For Málaga residents, the four-year deadline gives municipalities a defined period to organise their response, identify the resources they would need and establish how they would protect their communities if damaging earthquake shaking occurred.

Residents campaigning to ease traffic chaos in Cancelada have managed to get a meeting with the very busy mayor of Estepona, but discovered a solution could take time.

Brigitte Verhoye, who launched a petition calling for changes to a troublesome A-7 access road, met Mayor José María García Urbano on Monday, October 19, to discuss the problem affecting several residential developments.

According to Brigitte’s update to petition supporters, the meeting was constructive, with the mayor confirming that the council supports the proposed changes but faces legal and administrative obstacles.

Why Cancelada residents want road changes

The campaign, organised through the residents’ group La Voz de las Urbanizaciones, calls for a 500-metre stretch of road between Avenida Flor de Loto and the Veritas/Supeco area to become two-way.

Its current one-way arrangement forces drivers heading towards Marbella to make a detour of more than four kilometres, crossing a bridge and passing through Cancelada’s already congested main roundabout. Residents of Bel Air, El Paraiso, Paraiso Alto, Riviera Beach and Bahia Azul say the arrangement wastes time, increases fuel consumption and adds unnecessary traffic to the junction. The petition also proposes closing an old A-7 access that campaigners consider dangerous, redirecting traffic through the main roundabout instead.

Why a solution could take time

Brigitte said the mayor explained that the road’s connection to the state motorway infrastructure means the council cannot independently authorise the changes. According to her account, the Ministry of Transport must approve the necessary arrangements.

She also reported that ownership of adjoining land presents another obstacle. The council has reportedly held discussions with a representative of the landowner, but no agreement has yet provided a way forward.

One possible longer-term solution could come if the adjoining land is sold and developed. Brigitte said this might allow a new internal road to be included in a future development plan, potentially giving the council greater control over the route. However, no timetable has been confirmed, and residents should not expect an immediate change.

Petition is still open

A-7 Cancelada residents at wits’ end with traffic and road chaos

Brigitte thanked supporters for helping bring the issue to the mayor’s attention and said the petition would remain online to demonstrate continued local backing. Residents can read the proposals and add their names through the Change.org petition calling for an end to Cancelada’s four-kilometre detours.

For now, the campaign has secured reported support from the town hall, but the next step depends on resolving the outstanding road and land issues.

Link to the petition: