Greece’s beaches are among the world’s cleanest with the region of Halkidiki and the island of Rhodes in the lead this year, according to the 2022 Blue Flag quality award list for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats, released by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPF).
Greece ranked second after Spain among 48 countries with 581 of its beaches, 15 marinas, and six recreational boats getting the Blue Flag label, one of the world’s most recognized voluntary eco-labels, awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
At the top of the list with the cleanest beaches in the Halkidiki region with 87 Blue Flags, followed by Rhodes (55), and Crete: Lassithi (41), Chania (36), Heraklion (31), and Rethymno (20).
Other top 10 Blue Flag beaches in Greece are Attica (18), Kefalonia (17), and Lesvos (17).
“We are blessed as a country. Our destinations are highly sought after by people from across the globe,” Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki commented on the news.
The Blue Flag voluntary eco-label program is operated under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. In Greece, the program’s coordinator is the EEPF.
In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.
Last year, Greece ranked second again globally with 530 beaches among 49 countries for its Blue Flag beaches.