In an announcement made by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education, the Valencian Community is once again Spain’s shining star for excellence on its beaches. The region has scooped an impressive 153 blue flags, 14 more than in 2022, a hallmark that is synonymous with quality on the coast. In addition, Alicante Province has once again been named as Spain’s top province for the quality of its beaches, winning 85 Blue Flags, despite six beaches losing their coveted status and the local municipality of Orihuela tops the list with the most blue flags in the Valencian Community, as it has for serval years.
The certification guarantees the quality of the beaches and the excellent condition of the waters. The Councillor for Beaches, Antonio Sánchez, has praised the hard work of the Department of Beaches and the collaboration of various departments of Orihuela City Council.
In total, Orihuela has obtained eleven blue flags for its beaches, including: Aguamarina, Barranco Rubio, La Caleta, Cala Capitán, Cala Cerrada, Cala Estaca, Cala Mosca, La Glea, Cala Bosque, Mil Palmeras and Punta Prima. Additionally, the Dehesa de Campoamor Yacht Club has also been recognised.
To win a Blue Flag award, the beaches were assessed on the quality of their bathing water and sands, as well as environmental management and public information displays. Alicante Province managed to maintain its top position despite the loss of six Blue Flags.
The Blue Flag is an international environmental recognition that is awarded annually. 30 countries in Europe, South Africa, Morocco, New Zealand, Canada, and the Caribbean use this ECO label. In total, more than 3,500 beaches and marinas are recognised. Beaches from across Spain have achieved six more ‘Blue Flags’ this year than in 2022, maintaining the worldwide leadership they achieved in 1994, and accumulating 15 percent of the total awards.
Alicante’s total of 85 flags is 27 more than second-placed Pontevedra, with Malaga coming in third with 39 flags. By regions, the Valencian Community pipped Andalucia to the top spot, with 153 flags to 148.