Mar Menuda beach, in Tossa de Mar
Of the 3,575 beaches around the world that have obtained their blue flag this year, 579 are in Spain, which, with seven fewer than the previous year, represents 16% of the total. This means that one of every six flags that fly in the world will do so on our coasts and that one of every five Spanish beaches will display the blue flag this year.
By Autonomous Communities, the Valencian Community leads the number of blue flag beaches with 129 , (4 more than in 2016), followed by Galicia (113), Catalonia (95), Andalusia, which with 90 beaches experiences the greatest increase in blue flags (14); Canary Islands (49), Balearic Islands (45), Murcia, which with 24 is the one that loses the most beaches (-16); Asturias (15), Cantabria (9), Basque Country (5), Ceuta (2), Melilla (2) and Extremadura (1).
The Blue Flag is an annual award given by the European Foundation for Environmental Education to beaches that meet a series of environmental conditions and facilities. That is to say, flags that incite to a bath of sun and sea.
These are the beaches that get a Blue Flag for the first time in the history of the certification:
ALICANTE
Cala Mosca, in Orihuela
MURCIA
Cala de Calnegre, in Lorca
Percheles, in Mazarrón
Matalentisco, in Águilas
ALMERIA
The Nardos, in Pulpí
Palomares (Quitapellejos), in Cuevas del Almanzora
Well of Espertao, in Cuevas del Almanzora
El Cantal, in Mojacar
CADIZ
Micaela, in Chipiona
MAJORCA
Son Serra de Marina, in Santa Margalida
GRAND CANARY
La Sardina, in Gáldar
Arinaga, in Villa de Aguimes
La Garita, in Telde
Patalavaca, in Mogán
FUERTEVENTURA
Pond of the Needles, in La Oliva
Corralejo Viejo (The Schooner), in La Oliva
TENERIFE
La Jaquita beach and coves, in Guía de Isora
You can check all the blue flag beaches through this link.
*This article was published on Tuesday May 9 and updated on May 11 with the list of Spanish beaches that received the Blue Flag for the first time in 2017