Are Blue Flag beaches worth the hype that surrounds them?

Which beach or marina is the most ideal? Some would argue that wild beaches are best for holidays: they’re untouched by civilisation’s more disastrous effects. Others would argue that a clean beach with some of the modern trappings is ideal. Perhaps we’ll never reach consensus on this question that has been asked since Robinson Crusoe set foot on a tropical island.

But one of the best ways to judge a beach or a marina is by finding out whether it has a Blue Flag. There are more than 3500 beaches and marinas all around the world that have Blue Flag status. This means that the beach or marina conforms to certain international standards and that visitors on holiday to the area can expect it to live up to that high standard.

The Blue Flag concept began in France in 1987 and was first awarded to some French municipalities. This soon spread to other countries in Europe and soon more than 200 beaches and 200 marinas from 10 countries received the Blue Flag status.

The countries that have received Blue Flag status for some of their beaches or marinas are concentrated mainly in Europe; Australia and East Asian countries have no awards. A few North African and Latin American countries have received the iconic blue flag award.

Beaches need to adhere to all 27 criteria; marinas need to adhere to 22 criteria. Most of the criteria cover water quality, the amount of education municipalities offer on environmental education, the management of the area’s environment, and the safety of the area.

There are two award ceremonies: 5 June for Northern Hemisphere countries such as Morocco, and 1 November for Southern Hemisphere countries such as South Africa.

All this means that beach holidays at a Blue Flag beach can only be superb. The beach would be safe, free of industrial and sewage discharges, and it would be remarkably clean. So there won’t be any bottles, glass, or empty containers on the beach shore.

There are 41 countries who are currently participating in the Blue Flag programme.

Author bio:

Flightsite wrote this article about beach holidays.