Spain’s diverse coastline of almost 8,000 kilometres isn’t short of beautiful beaches, but this year it’s the high eco-standards and safety that sets them apart.
This week, the Blue Flag International Jury has awarded Spain a record 677 flags for its beaches, alongside 111 for marinas and six for tourism boats.
At a staggering 794 in total, 44 more than in 2025, the Mediterranean country edges above Greece which received a total of 657 and Türkiye which received 625.
Spain’s 677 Blue Flag beaches account for 15% of all Blue Flag beaches worldwide.
As many as 713 beach entries were submitted by Spain, all hailing from the country’s various municipalities, cities and autonomous regions. Spain’s latest record milestone follows a strong 2025, when it secured 750 Blue Flags.
The Valencian community led the Spanish beach rankings with 151 Blue Flags awarded across 48 municipalities, followed by Andalusia with 143, Galicia with 118, Catalonia with 101, and the Canary Islands with 52.
Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia were awarded the most Blue Flags for the marinas. While the six tourism boats were awarded across Andalusia and Valencia.
“Spain has never achieved such outstanding results in the Blue Flag programme,” said Rosario Sánchez, the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism.
“Once again, we emphasise that this success is the result of collaboration between municipal, regional and national entities, marinas, businesses, universities, foundations, associations and citizens, all of whom demonstrate responsible work in meeting the programme’s demanding criteria in environmental education, management and information, compliance with current legislation, excellent water quality, accessibility and safety.”
In a post via X, the Spanish State Secretariat for Tourism celebrated the country remaining a leader in the field and congratulated all recognised municipalities.
Beaches to go to
Grab your swimsuit, sunglasses and sunscreen – Spain’s Blue Flag beaches are calling. Here are some beaches to add to your bucket list:
La Malvarrosa, Valencia: Once a swampy area in the mid-19th century, Playa de la Malvarrosa has transformed into one of Valencia’s most popular urban beaches. Today, its golden sands attract surfers, divers, volleyball players and food lovers, drawn to its many volleyball courts, a promenade and rows of beachfront restaurants.
El Encinarejo, Andalusia: In southern Spain, El Encinarejo became Jaén province’s first Blue Flag beach without a sea coast in 2024. This inland beach is a quieter alternative to the country’s coastal stretches set at the backdrop of the El Encinarejo reservoir. On offer are calm waters, ideal for swimming, and rugged rural scenery.
Playa de la Virgen de la Nueva, Madrid: Think beige sands, turquoise clear waters, mountainous landscapes and plenty of natural shade. Located on the San Juan Reservoir, the beach offers activities for both sea and land lovers, including kayaking, wakeboarding, as well as mountain biking and hiking.
What are Blue Flags?
The Blue Flags programme is an internationally recognised eco-label awarded to beaches, marinas and tourism boats that meet high environmental and safety standards in water quality and environmental management to ensure good practice within tourism.
Each year, an international jury of experts, including representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme, UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development, European Network for Accessible Tourism, and European Environment Agency, evaluate destinations before awarding the certification.
It was first created in 1985 by the French arm of the Foundation for Environmental Education. The programme later expanded beyond France to Spain, Denmark and Portugal as an environmental educational initiative. In Spain, the foundation’s partner NGO is the Association of Environmental and Consumer Education.
With 40 consecutive editions now completed (1987-2026), the programme is present in 51 countries across five continents and in more than 5,000 locations.