Spain tops Blue Flag beaches 2026

Spain again led the world in Blue Flag beach awards for 2026, according to Spain’s environmental education association ADEAC and a May 20 report by The Independent. ADEAC said on May 5 that Spain received 794 Blue Flag recognitions in total — 677 for beaches, 111 for marinas and six for tourist boats. The Independent reported that the result kept Spain in first place globally in the Foundation for Environmental Education’s Blue Flag program. The Blue Flag label is awarded to beaches, marinas and tourist boats that meet environmental, safety and service standards. The Foundation for Environmental Education says sites are assessed on water quality, accessibility, environmental management, safety, services, and public information and education. In Spain, the program is administered by ADEAC, the Asociación de Educación Ambiental y del Consumidor. ### How big was Spain’s lead this year? ADEAC said Spain’s 794 recognitions were 44 more than in 2025. Of that total, 677 were beaches, giving Spain 15% of the world’s Blue Flag beaches, according to ADEAC’s May 5 press release. The Independent said Greece ranked second, with 624 awarded shorelines, while Italy had 525 beaches that met the criteria in 2026. France had 485 recognized sites, and Portugal had 438 Blue Flags across beaches, marinas and ecotourism vessels, the newspaper reported. ### What do the Andalusia and Málaga numbers show? Andalusia received 143 Blue Flag recognitions in 2026, according to Málaga provincial authorities and regional reporting cited in local coverage. The Málaga provincial release said one in every seven Blue Flags in the world is in Spain and that Andalusia remained one of the country’s leading regions in the program. Málaga province accounted for 45 Blue Flag beach recognitions in 2026, the provincial release said. Local coverage of the Costa del Sol awards said Málaga maintained the same number as the previous year, with municipalities across the province keeping beaches on the list. ### What exactly does a Blue Flag certify? The Foundation for Environmental Education describes Blue Flag as an international certification for beaches, marinas and boating tourism operators. The criteria cover water quality, environmental information, environmental management, safety and services, according to The Independent’s summary of the program. ADEAC said Spain’s results reflected compliance with demanding requirements on environmental education, management and information, legal standards, water quality, accessibility and safety. Rosario Sánchez, Spain’s secretary of state for tourism, said in ADEAC’s release that the program’s goals are aligned with Spain’s Tourism 2030 strategy. ### Were there any changes to the 2026 awards process? ADEAC said the international jury granted the 2026 awards for a two-year period as a temporary transition mechanism. The association said the change responded to evolving international accreditation requirements and to European Union regulatory changes, including ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and Directive (EU) 2024/825. The same ADEAC release said the award remains conditional on continued compliance with all Blue Flag criteria, as well as annual monitoring and verification during 2027. That means beaches, marinas and tourist boats recognized for 2026 will still face follow-up checks next year. ### Who spoke for Spain’s program? José Palacios Aguilar, president of the FEE’s Spanish branch, said in comments reported by The Independent that Spain had “never before achieved such excellent results” in the Blue Flag program. He attributed the result to cooperation among municipal, regional and national entities. Rosario Sánchez said in ADEAC’s release that the program began before sustainability certifications were widely discussed and said its work fits Spain’s long-term tourism strategy. ADEAC also noted that 2026 marks the 40th consecutive edition of the Blue Flag program in Spain, dating back to 1987. ADEAC said annual verification will continue in 2027, when the 2026 award holders will be reviewed under the transition process. Spain’s full 2026 tally remains 794 recognitions, including the 143 in Andalusia and 45 in Málaga province.