May 14, 2026, 3:45 p.mMay 14, 2026, 3:45 p.m
Just in time for the holiday season, Italy once again shines with many excellent beaches: more than 500 coastal sections will be able to fly the blue flag in 2026 – an international seal of quality from the FEE environmental foundation. The annual award stands for good water quality, clean facilities and responsible handling of wastewater and waste.
Most of the awards went to the Liguria region.Image: Shutterstock
With a total of 525 blue flag beaches, the number has increased compared to the previous year (487). This corresponds to around 11.6 percent of all beaches awarded worldwide. The blue flag has been awarded by the European environmental foundation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) since the mid-1980s – not only in Italy, but also in other European countries.
Officially, entire coastal communities are awarded the blue flag and not individual beaches. This year, 257 coastal communities were recognized, with 525 beaches. Once again, the most awards went to the Liguria region in northwest Italy with 35 locations. This is followed by the southern regions of Apulia and Calabria, each with 27 locations. (sda/dpa)