Twenty-two beaches in Greece have lost their Blue Flag certification for being inadequately organized ahead of the summer season, the program’s organizers announced this week.
Flags were removed from beaches on the 2024 national and international lists and lost their certification “because they were either not organized for the swimming season or did not meet the program’s strict criteria as determined by the inspections conducted so far”, the statement said.
The 22 beaches include popular coasts such as Kallithea on Rhodes, Korthi on Andros, Kalafatis on Mykonos, Agia Anna on Naxos, Myrtos on Crete, Schinias Karavi in Marathonas, and Ouranoupoli in Halkidki, among others.
According to inspectors, the 22 beaches were found to be lacking in the provision of services to bathers and visitors (including people with disabilities), cleanliness, clear and correct information, safety of bathers and visitors, environmental management and availability of free beach space.
In May, Greece was awarded 625 Blue Flags, ranking second in the world for its beaches after meeting 33 criteria in addition to the exceptional water quality.
Founded in 1987, the Copenhagen-based Blue Flag Program is run by the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and represented in Greece by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPF).
Program organizers said they would continue random inspections throughout the summer. Beaches failing to meet the standards will have their Blue Flag label removed.
Beaches and marinas awarded Blue Flags are monitored every year to ensure they continue to meet the required criteria. The announcement is made in May.
You can find the country’s Blue Flag beaches here and the 22 beaches here.
