The Valencian Community renews its national leadership with 159 blue flags and gains six flags in 2024

 

The Minister of the Environment, Salomé Pradas, highlights that our waters and sands “have obtained two out of ten flags from all of Spain”

This year, the Valencian Community has revalidated its leadership in blue flags with 159 flags for beaches, ports and tourist boats awarded by the Environmental and Consumer Education Association to distinguish the excellence and quality of tourist resources, as well as their respect for the environment. atmosphere.

The Minister of Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Territory, Salomé Pradas, has highlighted that the Community “has obtained two out of ten blue flags in all of Spain”, which demonstrates “the extraordinary quality of our waters, our sandy beaches and our infrastructure. tourism characterized by its sustainability and environmental respect.”

According to the classification prepared by the Environmental and Consumer Education Association (Adeac), 159 blue flags have been achieved in the Valencian territory, with six new distinctions compared to last year. The three new beaches with the award are Pobla Marina (in Pobla de Farnals), Rabdells de Oliva and Torres de la Vila Joiosa beach. The Marina Salinas de Torrevieja and the beaches of Torrenostra (Torreblanca), L'Arbre del Gos (Valencia), Les Deveses (Dénia), Levante and Malpas (Benidorm) and La Ermita (Santa Pola) have also recovered the award.

Of the 159 blue flags, 138 correspond to beaches, 19 to ports and two to tourist boats. 87 correspond to the province of Alicante, 39 to Valencia and 33 to Castellón. Six municipalities and their corresponding beaches continue, without interruption, with a blue flag since the beginning of the program in 1987. Thus, for 38 consecutive years, Alcalá de Xivert (El Carregador beach), Alicante (Sant Joan beach), Calpe (La Fossa beach ), Campello (Carrer la Mar beach), Cullera (Sant Antoni beach) and Gandia (Nord beach) have not stopped having this distinction. Playa-Monte de Navarrés, the only one with continental bathing waters, has also revalidated the award for meeting the criteria of safety, services, accessibility and special attention to the preservation of the environment.

The Association has also recognized up to 25 municipal interpretation centers as blue centers that contribute to valuing local ecosystems, as well as raising awareness among the population about environmental problems. Of these centers, 15 belong to the province of Alicante, 2 to Castellón and 8 to Valencia.

Special mentions

In Spain, special mentions are awarded to the three blue flag municipalities that make the greatest efforts in relation to environmental education, lifeguard services and accessibility and care for people with disabilities.

In 2024, the juries made up of experts in each special mention have highlighted the high quality of the applications presented and have valued the extraordinary effort they make beyond their obligations. Thus, they have chosen Torrevieja and Xilxes in the field of environmental education and Teulada for its lifeguard services. As a novelty, there has also been a Jury Recognition of the special mention in 'Universal Accessibility' that has been awarded to the Pobla de Farnals.

The blue flag program promotes the rational use of resources in nautical facilities and activities and raises awareness among people who use these facilities about the need to protect the marine environment and sustainable navigation. In addition, awards are given to boat skippers who develop good environmental practices and to sustainable tourist boats that carry out excursions along the coast to raise awareness of marine biodiversity.