This season, in Spain you can choose from 579 beaches, 100 marina resorts and 5 sustainable tourist boats, all of them distinguished with the prestigious Blue Flag award, thanks to their quality and safety. Clear turquoise waters, tiny coves, dramatic cliffs, broad stretches of golden sand, and all bathed in radiant sunshine…
Spain safely holds onto the title in 2018 as the country with the most blue flag beaches in the world, once again leading in the number of quality bathing spots along its vast coastline. Blue flags are awarded to those beaches that meet demands on issues such as hygiene, sanitary conditions, safety, accessibility, the prevision of lifeguards, first-rate water quality, signposted areas for surfing, kite surfing, water craft and so on. Blue flags are awarded by the Association for Environmental Education and the Consumer (ADEAC), aand Spain held its place for all the 30 editions since the awards began in 1987, and will be able to fly almost 700 blue flags along its coast line (out of a total of 4,423 blue flags in 45 countries in the whole world).
Beaches by Regions
If you opt for the north, get ready to see spectacular landscapes and dramatic cliffs. Galicia, in north-west Spain, offers picturesque towns like Sanxenxo, and settings like the Islas Atlánticas National Park with its Rodas beach. Galicia has a totoal of 109 blue flags. We also recommend Asturias with villages like Llanes, and the Basque Country with stunning destinations like Getxo, near Bilbao.
Do you prefer the Mediterranean? Mild temperatures, warm waters, magnificent palm groves… Try Catalonia, with no less than 101 flags to be found on the beaches in the city of Barcelona itself, or the beaches of L’Ametlla de Mar (Tarragona). You could also opt for the Region of Valencia, boasts the most number of quality beaches in Spain with 132 winning the rating, to be found in areas such as Cullera (Valencia) and Orihuela (Alicante). And what about Murcia? There’s nothing like a refreshing dip at the award-winning beaches of Cartagena.
Now let’s go to Andalusia, in the south of Spain. Imagine vast stretches of sand where spectacular sunsets are practically guaranteed. It is also home to several outstanding beaches distinguished with the Blue Flag including Roquetas (Almería), Marbella (Malaga) and Rota (Cadiz), among other 97 awarded beaches.
If what you want is to explore any of Spain’s islands, there are beaches of guaranteed quality, both in the Balearic Islands (you’ll love their coves and their turquoise water) and in the Canaries, with towns like San Bartolomé de Tirajana and its beaches, or Maspalomas and its amazing dunes. And what about the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla? Well, they’ve got Blue Flags too.