On June 17, 2025, Mirror (UK) and Yahoo! News UK reported on a video filmed by tourist Susan Taylor, showing a cat-sized rat scurrying across the sand at Fuengirola beach, located in the town of Fuengirola, southwest of Malaga (Spain). In the clip, startled screams can be clearly heard as a second rat unexpectedly appears, causing the filmer to jump back in fright. The video quickly went viral on social media. “I couldn’t believe my eyes, those rats were as big as a cat and ran across like they weren’t afraid of people. They looked incredibly strong and fast!” Susan shared with Jam Press, a news agency that provides content to British media.
“Giant” Rats Previously Roaming the Town
Joha, a resident who has lived in Fuengirola for over 10 years, stated that the presence of large rats is no longer a rare occurrence.
“We’ve seen them running along the road near the beach, even crawling up to the entrance of cafes. At first, I thought they were field mice, but I couldn’t imagine they’d be so big and so bold,” she said. Some residents reported that the rat “invasion” has become more severe since early May, especially after heavy rains caused the sewage system to overflow.
Red Alert from Alicante: Dozens of Rat Carcasses Wash Ashore
It’s not just Fuengirola; earlier in mid-May, another bizarre phenomenon occurred in Costa Blanca, another popular tourist area in Alicante province. At Urbanova beach, residents and tourists witnessed dozens of dead rats washed ashore, scattered across the sunbathing area. More seriously, in the training area of the Real Club de Regatas, rat carcasses even drifted directly into the boat docks.ctly into the boat docks.
According to the Alicante City Council, the main cause was heavy rain leading to collapsed or overflowing sewage systems, carrying trash and dead rats from the city center to the sea.
The problem is not new but remains unresolved. Trini Amorós, a spokesperson for the Alicante government, expressed frustration: “It’s unbelievable to have rats floating around our beaches. We have warned many times about the degradation of the underground sewage system, but there have been no significant improvements.”
Environmental experts believe the incident cannot be entirely blamed on the weather. “Climate change is causing torrential downpours, but if the drainage system were strong enough, flexible enough, and regularly maintained, dead rats washing up on beaches would not happen,” analyzed Dr. Jose Lopez, an urban planning expert at the University of Barcelona.
Tourists Turning Away and Local Tourism Industry Taking a Major Hit
While local authorities are scrambling to find solutions, many tourists have chosen to cancel or redirect their holidays. “Just thinking about swimming in the sea and a rat brushing against my leg gives me chills. Fuengirola is beautiful, but I’m sorry, not this time,” commented a German tourist under Susan Taylor’s video.
Travel agencies have also started redirecting promotions to other destinations like Mallorca or Valencia, which are less affected by the rat phenomenon. What’s the solution to prevent rats from “touring” with people?
According to Javier Martinez, the head of urban sanitation in Malaga, the city is implementing:
Increased inspection of the sewage system, especially sections near residential areas and beaches.
Disinfection and sanitization of sewers with special chemicals.
Piloting the installation of electronic rat traps at major sewer junctions, connected to pest monitoring software.
However, he also admitted: “This cannot be resolved overnight. The infrastructure is old, and the rapid increase in population and tourism has overwhelmed the system.”
The appearance of giant rats, while intriguing on social media, is in fact a serious warning for coastal cities: if infrastructure, sanitation, and environmental management are not adequately invested in, they will quickly become a nightmare, even in places dubbed “tourist paradises.”
According to Yahoo’s assessment, the fact that tourists are fleeing beaches in fear not because of big waves or sharks, but because of… rats, is a wake-up call for managers to reassess the seriously threatened urban ecosystem.