Andalusia has launched the summer this Wednesday by hoisting 148 blue flags on its beaches, marinas and boats, the highest number since these awards began to be granted, according to the Minister of Tourism, Arturo Bernal.
This figure means adding three more flags than last year, when the Andalusian coast displayed 145 of these banners.
It has done so on the beach of Islantilla (Huelva), which has hosted the award ceremony of the distinctive Blue Flag that the beaches, ports and sustainable tourist boats of the entire Andalusian territory have obtained in 2023.
Bernal, who was accompanied by the president of the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), José Palacios, and by a broad representation of the award-winning municipalities, ports and entities, specified that this figure is “a reflection of the dedication and the commitment of each actor in the process of managing and improving our coastline, where the care and preservation of the environment always prevail”.
In total, those 148 Blue Flags for Andalusia represent a new record, adding the highest number in the historical series since these awards began to be awarded.
The counselor has stressed the relevance of these recognitions, “something that is of common benefit and becomes one of the main pillars of the consolidation of our destination, as a tourist hub in southern Europe.”
Islantilla, chosen for the flag delivery ceremony, is one of the 12 Huelva beaches referenced this year with the ADEAC distinction.
By provinces, Almería has obtained 33 distinctions (32 beaches and one port), Cádiz 37 (31 beaches and six ports); Cordoba (one); Granada 13 (12 beaches and a port); Huelva 17 (12 beaches and five ports), and Málaga 47 (39 beaches, six ports and two sustainable boats).
Of the 148 Blue Flags, 127 badges correspond to beaches (there are 5 more than in 2022), 19 are flying as of today in as many marinas (2 less than in 2022) and two will be displayed in 2023 on two sustainable boats (same number as the last year).
This award recognizes the environmental quality and sustainable use of the environments and spaces marked with said blue flags. Spain is the country in the world with the highest number of Blue Flags (729) and, not surprisingly, 15% of the world’s beaches that display these badges are in our country, being the third in Blue Flags for marinas (97 ), only behind the Netherlands and France.
