99 Croatian Beaches with Coveted Blue Flag Status

Croatia top of Europe for water quality (image: hi-wallpapers.com)

Croatia continues to lead the way in Europe for the number of beaches with the coveted Blue Flag rating – a symbol of eco-responsibility, signifying pristine waters and cleanliness.

This year 118 beaches and marinas in Croatia were awarded Blue Flag status by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Of those 99 were beaches and 19 were marinas, it was revealed on Friday at the D-resort Mandalina in Šibenik where the 20th annual Blue Flag Programme awards were held.

With 118 Blue Flags, it puts Croatia near the very top of Europe when it comes to the quality of swimming water.

“Almost 120 beaches and marinas can boast the coveted Blue Flag, and the potential is much higher. The Ministry is proposing and promoting short-term and long-term measures to make this number much larger, “said State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy Mario Šiljeg.

Blue Flag

He also said that for almost 30 years, the Croatian Environment and Nature Agency and the European Agency have been monitoring the quality of bathing water.

“Croatia is at the top, behind Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. Over 98 percent of spots tested are in the ‘excellent’ category of bathing water, and the rest is in the ‘good’ category,” said Šiljeg.

The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its stringent standards. In Croatia, the coordinators of the programme are the ‘Lijepa naša’ organisation.