Debate over banning short-distance flights takes off, but the cons outweigh the pros
Untouchable Spain: Blue-flag beach world leader for 35th year
13/05/2022
IF SUMMER holidays or free-time relaxation, for you, has to involve a beach – no matter what else might be missing – Spain is, officially, where you'll find the highest number of the best-quality ones on earth.
This can make destination decisions seem impossible – but rather than overwhelming yourself by researching the pros and cons of all 621 beaches that have been awarded blue flags this year, why not just sellotape a map of Spain to the wall, cover your eyes, hurl a dart at it or stick a drawing pin in it, and book your holiday for wherever it lands?
Clearly, the probabilities of the pin sticking into somewhere a huge distance from any coast are high, but that doesn't mean a beachless break.
Of the 18 beaches which gained their first blue flags for 2022, seven of them were inland – some in provinces which already have a coast, but in towns and villages which are a long-ish drive away from them.
Overall, 16 inland beaches either won back last year's flag or gained their first.
And they include beaches in four provinces which are literally hours by car, or hundreds of kilometres, from the nearest sea – Álava in the Basque Country, Badajoz in Extremadura, Córdoba in Andalucía, and Madrid.
The latter has one blue-flagged beach, although Badajoz has an incredible eight – gaining six from 2021 – a very commendable result for a province half a day by car from any sea.
Which province has the most blue flags on earth?
Otherwise, you could opt for the regions which have the largest numbers of blue-flagged beaches and book a trip to wherever has space and comes at the right price, or head to a smaller region with fewer of them, to help narrow down your choices.
For those taking the first of these options, the Comunidad Valenciana continues to be the region with the most blue flags. This year, with a net gain of two, it has a total of 139, and its southernmost province, Alicante – whose coastline is known as the Costa Blanca – is the one with the highest figure in the region.
That means Alicante is the province with the most blue-flagged beaches on earth – 74 in total.
The two provinces that come joint third in numbers are at opposite ends of the mainland: Málaga, whose coast is known as the Costa del Sol, and A Coruña, in the far north-western region of Galicia, both with 36.
Galicia is also home to the province with the second-highest number of blue flags – Pontevedra, at 58.
Andalucía is the region with the second-largest total of blue flags, with 122 – having made the highest net gain this year, with seven – followed by Galicia, third, with 112, a net gain of one.
Possibly, Galicia's success is even greater than those of the Comunidad Valenciana and Andalucía, given that it has the fewest kilometres of coast out of the three.
Other significant numbers are found in the Canary Islands – 54, down from last year's 59 – Catalunya, falling to 94 from its 97 total in 2021; the Balearic Islands, up two but down three to 30 in total, and Murcia, rising from 26 to 27.
In the north, Asturias has 14, Cantabria 11, and the Basque Country three – in fact, even though two of the Basque provinces have a sea coast, the only one with blue-flagged beaches is land-locked.
The city-provinces on the northern Moroccan coast, Ceuta and Melilla, have two and four respectively.
Blue flags are not just awarded for beaches, but also for marinas or ports, and for 'recreational vessels', such as cruise ships or party boats.
This brings Spain's overall total for the year to 729, a rise of 41 on last year, of which all bar 108 are for beaches, increased in number by 32 since 2021 – continuing with the nation's unbroken 35-year run at the top of the global flagpole.
Behind the blue-flag scenes: How to earn this nearly-impossible kitemark
The fact that the country's 621 blue-flagged beaches only represent a small percentage of the whole – between 2% and 5% for the Balearic and Canary Islands, respectively; just under one in five for Andalucía and 22.4% for the Comunidad Valenciana – does not mean the majority fail to come up to scratch. Far from it: Blue flags might seem ubiquitous, to the point where you may have assumed they are more or less given away, but in reality they're extremely hard to earn.
Reaching the exacting standards they demand takes time and money – according to Spain's Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, the national government alone invested €150 million in 2021 towards honing its beach holiday industry, the results of which are inspected by the international blue flag committee.
And that's without taking into account the funds invested by local councils, on top of grants they received from their provincial or regional governments, the hours and hours of planning, and the dedication and effort by ordinary workers in doing their best for their beaches.
Water quality, optimum cleanliness, environmentally-friendly policies and practices, sustainability, maximum convenience – catering for disability and diversity, comfort-inducing facilities within easy reach – and leisure and entertainment infrastructure are judged.
The list of services and structures in place before you even need bother apply for a blue flag is huge, and far from exhaustive. Wheelchair access, ramps, and an assisted bathing service, for those with restricted mobility; steps, where applicable, that are not too steep, slippery underfoot or with lumps and bumps, and which have hand-rails; helpful aids that may not have even occurred to you unless you or your loved ones need them, such as symbols on the red, yellow and green 'sea safety' flags that enable colour-blind bathers to recognise them; not having to cross a busy road on foot to get to the shore, or to climb a hill, hike a rural footpath or wend one's way down a cliff-face – which is partly why many of Spain's most beautiful, rugged and rural coves, despite their superb quality in every other way, might not get a blue flag – clear signposts for key information, perhaps multi-lingual, or at least with pictures or symbols that are universally recognised; wooden walkways to prevent sandy feet (or burnt feet, when the sand is extremely hot and you aren't in flip-flops); foot-showers so you don't get sand in your shoes; public toilets, with doors that are at least wide enough for a wheelchair; bars close enough by for relaxation and entertainment, and also so you can get an emergency drink of water if you're dehydrating; first-aid-trained lifeguards, and maybe even an actual pop-up GP surgery nearby; at least daily cleaning, ploughing and rubbish clearance; bonus points for children's play-park apparatus, sports facilities such as volleyball nets, useful shops nearby, and full-sized showers on the beaches.
Reasons for 'lost' blue flags: 99% perfect still isn't perfect
According to the awarding body, ADEAC, the vast majority of those which 'lost' their blue flags this year did not actually do anything wrong – they simply didn't apply for one.
In some cases, this was because the inspections were due to happen at a time when torrential rain was forecast, and local councils feared this would mean the sea-water quality would not be perfect when tested – even though it would be by high summer – so they decided not to put their beaches forward.
This was the only reason Benidorm's world-famous Poniente beach has lost its blue flag for 2022 – downpours shortly before water-quality tests carried out last year meant the results were 'unrepresentative', says the town council.
It would not have happened in high summer, when blue flag-bearing really matters, since the typical Mediterranean monsoons are nearly always in early spring and early autumn, when air temperature changes dramatically.
In fact, councillor in charge, Mónica Gómez, says Poniente meets every other 'excellence' standard – and even has lifeguard and life-saving services in place 12 months of the year.
Other beaches which either lost their 2021 flags or applied for what they hoped would be their first and were unsuccessful were, in fact, perfect in all bar a couple of criteria, or were very, very good indeed, but only 99%, not 100%.
Overall, of those beaches entered as candidates, 89% were successful.
ADEAC deputy chairwoman, Virginia Yuste, says: “It's really tough, reaching the extremely demanding standards for a blue flag. In many cases of beaches which did not get one, the quality of the sea water was 'very good', but not 'excellent'; and only 'excellent' passes the test.”
Still, Spain has more blue-flagged beaches than anywhere else in the world, and always has, ever since the award system was launched 35 years ago – it has never been beaten by any other country.
And when you think how huge the likes of the USA, Australia, México, Brazil and other mature and popular beach holiday destination countries are in comparison to Spain, this is a massive achievement.
In fact, Spain is one of 47 countries to apply for blue flags this year, with over 5,000 awarded worldwide.
Greece and Turkey join Spain on the podium – but not only is Spain top of the beach crop, its numbers go up every year. Last year it received 615, so this summer brings a net increase of six.
Special mentions and extra awards this year
Málaga, Benalmádena (Málaga province) and Chiclana de la Frontera (Cádiz province) earned an 'inclusive beach bonus' for its efforts to make the seaside enjoyable, and possible, for people with disabilities and diversities, and Chiclana and the north-African enclave of Ceuta got a special distinction for their superior lifeguard and life-saving services.
Badalona (Barcelona province), Cartagena (Murcia) and the marina in Lugo, Galicia got extra distinctions for 'environmental education', with the beach shared between Cartagena and San Javier being singled out for 'exemplary teamwork', and Badalona for 'concerted effort', as it lost flags for four of its beaches in past years but has gradually regained them through focus and hard work.
Extremadura was highlighted for 'spectacular growth' in blue flag numbers, going from two to six and accounting for 50% of Spain's inland beaches with the award.
Related Topics
IF SUMMER holidays or free-time relaxation, for you, has to involve a beach – no matter what else might be missing – Spain is, officially, where you'll find the highest number of the best-quality ones on earth.
This can make destination decisions seem impossible – but rather than overwhelming yourself by researching the pros and cons of all 621 beaches that have been awarded blue flags this year, why not just sellotape a map of Spain to the wall, cover your eyes, hurl a dart at it or stick a drawing pin in it, and book your holiday for wherever it lands?
Clearly, the probabilities of the pin sticking into somewhere a huge distance from any coast are high, but that doesn't mean a beachless break.
Of the 18 beaches which gained their first blue flags for 2022, seven of them were inland – some in provinces which already have a coast, but in towns and villages which are a long-ish drive away from them.
Overall, 16 inland beaches either won back last year's flag or gained their first.
And they include beaches in four provinces which are literally hours by car, or hundreds of kilometres, from the nearest sea – Álava in the Basque Country, Badajoz in Extremadura, Córdoba in Andalucía, and Madrid.
The latter has one blue-flagged beach, although Badajoz has an incredible eight – gaining six from 2021 – a very commendable result for a province half a day by car from any sea.
Which province has the most blue flags on earth?
Otherwise, you could opt for the regions which have the largest numbers of blue-flagged beaches and book a trip to wherever has space and comes at the right price, or head to a smaller region with fewer of them, to help narrow down your choices.
For those taking the first of these options, the Comunidad Valenciana continues to be the region with the most blue flags. This year, with a net gain of two, it has a total of 139, and its southernmost province, Alicante – whose coastline is known as the Costa Blanca – is the one with the highest figure in the region.
That means Alicante is the province with the most blue-flagged beaches on earth – 74 in total.
The two provinces that come joint third in numbers are at opposite ends of the mainland: Málaga, whose coast is known as the Costa del Sol, and A Coruña, in the far north-western region of Galicia, both with 36.
Galicia is also home to the province with the second-highest number of blue flags – Pontevedra, at 58.
Andalucía is the region with the second-largest total of blue flags, with 122 – having made the highest net gain this year, with seven – followed by Galicia, third, with 112, a net gain of one.
Possibly, Galicia's success is even greater than those of the Comunidad Valenciana and Andalucía, given that it has the fewest kilometres of coast out of the three.
Other significant numbers are found in the Canary Islands – 54, down from last year's 59 – Catalunya, falling to 94 from its 97 total in 2021; the Balearic Islands, up two but down three to 30 in total, and Murcia, rising from 26 to 27.
In the north, Asturias has 14, Cantabria 11, and the Basque Country three – in fact, even though two of the Basque provinces have a sea coast, the only one with blue-flagged beaches is land-locked.
The city-provinces on the northern Moroccan coast, Ceuta and Melilla, have two and four respectively.
Blue flags are not just awarded for beaches, but also for marinas or ports, and for 'recreational vessels', such as cruise ships or party boats.
This brings Spain's overall total for the year to 729, a rise of 41 on last year, of which all bar 108 are for beaches, increased in number by 32 since 2021 – continuing with the nation's unbroken 35-year run at the top of the global flagpole.
Behind the blue-flag scenes: How to earn this nearly-impossible kitemark
The fact that the country's 621 blue-flagged beaches only represent a small percentage of the whole – between 2% and 5% for the Balearic and Canary Islands, respectively; just under one in five for Andalucía and 22.4% for the Comunidad Valenciana – does not mean the majority fail to come up to scratch. Far from it: Blue flags might seem ubiquitous, to the point where you may have assumed they are more or less given away, but in reality they're extremely hard to earn.
Reaching the exacting standards they demand takes time and money – according to Spain's Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, the national government alone invested €150 million in 2021 towards honing its beach holiday industry, the results of which are inspected by the international blue flag committee.
And that's without taking into account the funds invested by local councils, on top of grants they received from their provincial or regional governments, the hours and hours of planning, and the dedication and effort by ordinary workers in doing their best for their beaches.
Water quality, optimum cleanliness, environmentally-friendly policies and practices, sustainability, maximum convenience – catering for disability and diversity, comfort-inducing facilities within easy reach – and leisure and entertainment infrastructure are judged.
The list of services and structures in place before you even need bother apply for a blue flag is huge, and far from exhaustive. Wheelchair access, ramps, and an assisted bathing service, for those with restricted mobility; steps, where applicable, that are not too steep, slippery underfoot or with lumps and bumps, and which have hand-rails; helpful aids that may not have even occurred to you unless you or your loved ones need them, such as symbols on the red, yellow and green 'sea safety' flags that enable colour-blind bathers to recognise them; not having to cross a busy road on foot to get to the shore, or to climb a hill, hike a rural footpath or wend one's way down a cliff-face – which is partly why many of Spain's most beautiful, rugged and rural coves, despite their superb quality in every other way, might not get a blue flag – clear signposts for key information, perhaps multi-lingual, or at least with pictures or symbols that are universally recognised; wooden walkways to prevent sandy feet (or burnt feet, when the sand is extremely hot and you aren't in flip-flops); foot-showers so you don't get sand in your shoes; public toilets, with doors that are at least wide enough for a wheelchair; bars close enough by for relaxation and entertainment, and also so you can get an emergency drink of water if you're dehydrating; first-aid-trained lifeguards, and maybe even an actual pop-up GP surgery nearby; at least daily cleaning, ploughing and rubbish clearance; bonus points for children's play-park apparatus, sports facilities such as volleyball nets, useful shops nearby, and full-sized showers on the beaches.
Reasons for 'lost' blue flags: 99% perfect still isn't perfect
According to the awarding body, ADEAC, the vast majority of those which 'lost' their blue flags this year did not actually do anything wrong – they simply didn't apply for one.
In some cases, this was because the inspections were due to happen at a time when torrential rain was forecast, and local councils feared this would mean the sea-water quality would not be perfect when tested – even though it would be by high summer – so they decided not to put their beaches forward.
This was the only reason Benidorm's world-famous Poniente beach has lost its blue flag for 2022 – downpours shortly before water-quality tests carried out last year meant the results were 'unrepresentative', says the town council.
It would not have happened in high summer, when blue flag-bearing really matters, since the typical Mediterranean monsoons are nearly always in early spring and early autumn, when air temperature changes dramatically.
In fact, councillor in charge, Mónica Gómez, says Poniente meets every other 'excellence' standard – and even has lifeguard and life-saving services in place 12 months of the year.
Other beaches which either lost their 2021 flags or applied for what they hoped would be their first and were unsuccessful were, in fact, perfect in all bar a couple of criteria, or were very, very good indeed, but only 99%, not 100%.
Overall, of those beaches entered as candidates, 89% were successful.
ADEAC deputy chairwoman, Virginia Yuste, says: “It's really tough, reaching the extremely demanding standards for a blue flag. In many cases of beaches which did not get one, the quality of the sea water was 'very good', but not 'excellent'; and only 'excellent' passes the test.”
Still, Spain has more blue-flagged beaches than anywhere else in the world, and always has, ever since the award system was launched 35 years ago – it has never been beaten by any other country.
And when you think how huge the likes of the USA, Australia, México, Brazil and other mature and popular beach holiday destination countries are in comparison to Spain, this is a massive achievement.
In fact, Spain is one of 47 countries to apply for blue flags this year, with over 5,000 awarded worldwide.
Greece and Turkey join Spain on the podium – but not only is Spain top of the beach crop, its numbers go up every year. Last year it received 615, so this summer brings a net increase of six.
Special mentions and extra awards this year
Málaga, Benalmádena (Málaga province) and Chiclana de la Frontera (Cádiz province) earned an 'inclusive beach bonus' for its efforts to make the seaside enjoyable, and possible, for people with disabilities and diversities, and Chiclana and the north-African enclave of Ceuta got a special distinction for their superior lifeguard and life-saving services.
Badalona (Barcelona province), Cartagena (Murcia) and the marina in Lugo, Galicia got extra distinctions for 'environmental education', with the beach shared between Cartagena and San Javier being singled out for 'exemplary teamwork', and Badalona for 'concerted effort', as it lost flags for four of its beaches in past years but has gradually regained them through focus and hard work.
Extremadura was highlighted for 'spectacular growth' in blue flag numbers, going from two to six and accounting for 50% of Spain's inland beaches with the award.
Related Topics
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