REVEALED: The 38 beaches in Spain's Balearic Islands awarded prestigious Blue Flags this year

A TOTAL of 38 beaches in the Balearic Islands have been awarded a Blue Flag this year.

A further 13 marinas and three sustainable boats in the region were also handed the prestigious certification from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Of the 38 blue flags that will proudly fly this year, two are new and include Cala Gran in Santanyi and Cala Major in Palma, the latter which was stripped of its flag in 2019.

This represents 8% of the total number of Blue Flags awarded to Spain which this year received 688 – 589 for its beaches, 98 for its marinas and five for its sustainable boats.

The Valencian Community leads the rankings for its beaches being granted a whopping 134 flags, followed by Galicia (107), Andalucia (100), Catalunya (95), the Canary Islands (51), the Balearic Islands (38) and Murcia (26).

35270610921_f38430cf93_c — PARADISE: Cala Galdana in Menorca

The country thus takes top spot on the international leaderboard, a position held since 1987, followed by Greece (514), Turkey (508), France (507), Italy (482) and Portugal (387).

Revealing the breakdown of the awards, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Oliver, said that the Spanish coastline has maintained the highest standards for quality which ‘further strengthens its image as a leading tourist destination.’

Oliver stressed that the coast has always been a ‘strength and hallmark’ of Spain and that this year, health security at beaches would be essential.

She said: “This year, it will not be enough that our beaches have easy and safe accesses, or that there are first aid teams and lifeguards.

“We must now offer security to residents and tourists from COVID-19.”

Oliver indicated that ‘there is no danger’ for visitors this summer if the capacity of beaches are controlled and social distancing is maintained.

“The objective is to reduce risks of contagion, and I am sure that we are going to achieve it,” Oliver concluded.

34376004645_82652f3d8b_c — NATURAL WONDER: Can Picafort in Mallorca

In order to qualify for this prestigious award, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria must be met and maintained.

For beaches, this includes water quality, managing cleanliness, educating visitors about environmental concerns and providing adequate sanitary facilities.

Beaches awarded a Blue Flag in the Balearic Islands:

Ibiza: