Greece is ranked second worldwide among 57 countries in the international “Blue Flag” program, with 623 awarded beaches, 17 marinas, and 17 tourist boats, according to a statement from the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature.
There has been a steady increase in the number of awarded sites each year, surpassing 600 Blue Flags. The awarded beaches account for 15% of all beaches in the 52 countries participating in the program.
The top region in Greece is Halkidiki, with 93 Blue Flags, followed by Crete with 153. Attica has 15 Blue Flags, Thessaloniki 13, Rhodes 38, and Lesbos 15.
The international committee awarded a total of 4,302 beaches, 736 marinas, and 158 tourist boats globally.
The requirement for a beach to receive the “Blue Flag” is that its water quality must be “excellent.”
In marinas, Attica (Lavreotiki, Alimos, Paleo Faliro, Piraeus) ranks first, and for tourist boats, Halkidiki leads with 14 out of 17 awards.
The annual announcement of Greece’s Blue Flag-awarded beaches, marinas, and tourist boats took place yesterday, Thursday (May 15), at the Glyfada Golf Gardens in Attica.
