Costa del Sol beaches fly the flag for excellence and quality

The Costa del Sol is a mecca for beach lovers, so it is no surprise that there are plenty of excellent seaside spots to choose from. Fringed with more than 150 kilometres of golden beaches to suit all tastes, the ‘sun coast’ has every type of attraction, from water sports centres offering speed boats, jet skis, kite surfing, banana boats, pedalos, canoes and a host of other leisure activities. There are tranquil coves for those who want to chill out with a summer read while topping up their tans, and family beaches with every amenity necessary for a day by the sea. This stretch of coast, which attracts millions of visitors every year, also offers plentiful beaches designed for those with mobility restrictions, and others with facilities for the blind and people with hearing deficiencies.

Those looking for the perfect place to bathe and relax during the summer will also have the peace of mind in knowing that the Andalusian coastline has obtained 156 blue flags for its beaches, marinas and tourist boats in 2024, eight more than the previous year.

A recognised distinction that validates the excellence of services offered and the condition of the beaches, the coveted blue flags are awarded annually by ADEAC, the association responsible in Spain for the international programmes of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The iconic blue flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats. In order to qualify for the blue flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained. Central to the ideals of the programme is the aim of connecting the public with their surroundings and encouraging them to learn more about their environment. As such, environmental education activities must be offered and promoted in addition to a permanent display of information relevant to the site in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental issues.

For the last 30 years, FEE has recognised the best beach and port environments with these flags for their commitment to environmental sustainability, excellent quality regarding water, waste collection and cleaning, qualified lifeguards and first aid posts. In addition, they must have access ramps to the beach and toilets for disabled people, along with very good maintenance in general.

The most frequent reason for not achieving it is not reaching the excellent bathing water quality of the beach. The second reason is non-compliance with the coastal law, due to overcrowding or the presence of unauthorised facilities on the beaches.

Of the beaches in Andalucía that applied for this distinction this year, 91 per cent were successful.

In the case of Malaga and the Costa del Sol, the province has achieved 50 awards this year, three more flags than in 2023. Of these, 41 correspond to beaches, six to marinas and another three to sustainable vessels. In addition, it also received recognition for the lifeguard services of Malaga city.

This means that one in three Andalusian beaches with the blue flag distinction is in Malaga.

The beaches of Malaga with blue flags cover almost 51 kilometres of coastline in 12 municipalities. The town with the most blue flags is Marbella, which has eight. It is followed by Malaga, with seven; Fuengirola, Mijas and Nerja, with four; Torremolinos and Vélez-Málaga, with three, and Benalmádena and Torrox with two blue flags. The rest have one.

These include some of the most popular beaches visited by locals and visitors alike each summer, such as Benajarafe in Vélez-Málaga; La Caleta, El Palo, La Malagueta, Misericordia, Pedregalejo and San Andrés in Malaga; El Bajondillo, Los Álamos and Playamar in Torremolinos, and Fuente de la Salud, Torrebermeja-Santa Ana in Benalmádena. Further along the coast, along with blue flags and the ‘Q’ for tourism quality, Fuengirola has also received the ‘S’ for Sustainability certificate for all of its beaches; while Mijas claimed the blue flag distinction for the Calahonda-Royal, El Bombo, El Chaparral and La Cala beaches.

As for marinas, Puerto Marina in Benalmádena, Caleta de Vélez, Estepona, La Duquesa (Manilva), Marbella and Puerto Banús have all achieved the blue certificate.

The blue flag also rewards boats that offer tourist activities to raise environmental awareness. Of the seven boats with blue flags in all of Spain, three are in Malaga: Catamaran Magic Vision and the Starfish II, both in Benalmádena marina; and ECO Marine World in Malaga port.

The beaches along the Costa also employ excellent security and surveillance facilities. Along with an extensive lifeguard service and the presence of extra Local Police patrols and assistance from civil protection staff trained in first aid, many municipalities now survey the beaches with drones. These are used to monitor the correct use of jet skis in order to ensure the safety of bathers, to locate missing children and to notify the authorities of swimmers or those using pedalos or canoes who are experiencing problems.

This means that those who choose to visit the coastal towns in the province of Malaga this summer are guaranteed to experience some of the cleanest waters and safest, most accessible and environmentally friendly beaches in the region.