Over 500 Greek beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag

The Blue Flag is an internationally recognised symbol of quality

545 beaches in Greece have been awarded the Blue Flag this year, reported news agency eKathimerini. In total, 4,040 beaches, 707 marinas and 78 cruise ships worldwide have been awarded the Blue Flag in 2021. Greek beaches therefore account for a large percentage of the total award-winning locations, making Greece a leader in clean and high quality beach areas. 

What is the Blue Flag and how is it earned?

According to its website, the Blue Flag is a world-renowned award, headquartered in the capital of Denmark and created with the help and support of the Foundation for Environmental Education. More importantly, it is an internationally recognised symbol of quality.

In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, beaches (as well as marinas and boats) must meet a series of strict and stringent criteria. Taking this further, these criteria are divided into four distinct categories: Environmental Education and Information, Water Quality, Environmental Management, Safety and Services.

Expanding on the requirements, the Blue Flag awards beaches that are not affected by industrial, wastewater or sewage-related discharges. Furthermore, they must be patrolled by lifeguards and kept clean. They must also offer various services and facilities to beachgoers; these include access to lavatories, drinking water, etc.

Which Greek beaches have received this award?

eKathimerini revealed that Greece’s Halkidiki peninsula received 96 flags – the highest number in the country. The well-known and popular beaches Varkiza, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Kythira, Poros, and Aegina in the Attica region also met the Blue Flag’s strict criteria.

It must be noted that in addition to the 545 beaches, 16 marinas and 6 sustainable boating tourism operators were also awarded the Blue Flag. The full list of awarded locations can be found on the blueflag.gr website. On this website, one can see where the beaches, marinas, and boats are located as well as under which municipalities they fall.