Keep the Blue Flag Flying

Spain has emerged as the world's #1 blue flag beach ... erm ... haver.

This year, Spain has had a blue flag granted to 511 beaches, and 92 marinas.

That's one in every six beaches!

There are just over 3550 beaches worldwide who have merited a blue flag this year, and Spain has bagged over 500 of the awards!

When you compare Spain's 511 blue flag beaches with the measly 10 in Jamaica, a shocking 1 in Brasil and 0 (yes, ZERO) in The Bahamas, you begin to wonder what people see in these far-flung destinations! Add the price and the duration of flights, and it looks like the beach-loving clever money will be holidaying in Spain this year.

"It's great news for Spain's tourist industry," said Hugh James, managing director of Murcia Villas SL. "Combine the incredible number of award-winning beaches with the frequency and price of flights, and factor in the low cost of renting holiday homes on The Costas, and you have a recipe for a bumper Spanish summer."

Incredibly, however, the 603 blue flags which will be flying above beaches and marinas this summer is actually 2 less than last year! This, says José Sánchez Moro, president of the Asociación de Educación Ambiental y del Consumidor (the Association of Environmental Education and the Consumer), is because Spain actually presented less candidates than the previous year.

"Our beaches are better than ever," he boasted.

Criteria for Blue Flag qualification include water quality, enviromental education and management, and safety and services. These criteria are closely monitored throughout the season, and flags can be removed if the standards drop. 

So, keep your eyes peeled for the blue flags which indicate that the beach you intend to idle away your day on is up to scratch! But also, bear in mind that some of the less-frequented beaches may not have toilets, life guards and a map of the facilites (all of which are prerequisites for a blue flag), but they are still little slices of heaven.