This year, Portugal has 440 Blue Flag beaches, marinas and ships, eight more than in 2023, making it the second country in the world with the highest number of award-winning river beaches, the Blue Flag Europe Association announced today.
The announcement was made at the Vasco da Gama Aquarium, in Dafundo, municipality of Oeiras, district of Lisbon, by the president of the European Blue Flag Association, José Archer, who stated that in the next bathing season 398 beaches will be opened, distributed in 103 municipalities.
A beach awarded with the Blue Flag meets several criteria, including water quality and space (planning), security and services, surveillance and raising awareness of the population (environmental education).
The person in charge considered it “good news” that the number of beaches, marinas and boats with a Blue Flag “has grown again”, pointing out that on the beaches there is “a decline to reach 400.”
José Archer also highlighted the “continuous growth of inland beaches,” admitting that they are “naturally much more sensitive, more difficult to reach and maintain.”
“Portugal stands out greatly for its inland beaches. We are, worldwide, the second country with the most inland beaches [fluviais]With 49, more than double that of Spain and Italy, it is a figure that deserves to be highlighted,” he added.
Regarding coastal beaches, the official highlighted that the number of beaches on the Portuguese coast with a Blue Flag “is fully consolidated”, highlighting that it is “growing as we are able to designate new beaches”.
Regarding the loss of the Blue Flag, José Archer said that all situations, in relation to last year, took into account the quality of the water, and in the case of Zambujeira do Mar it is related to the impact of the summer festival that is being carried out. in a town in the southwest of Alentejo, in the municipality of Odemira, district of Beja.
On the “most sensitive” river beaches, he added, it is enough “for there to be an accident or a spill upstream and it ends up having an impact on the quality of the water.”
“These are specific situations, which is a shame because they end up spending a year without being able to raise the Blue Flag. It is also a warning about people’s behavior that sometimes a reckless attitude leads to a community’s efforts going down the drain. ” , he said.
Internationally, Portugal occupies second place in terms of awarded ecotourism vessels, with 23, and 19 marinas have also been distinguished. In these two categories there were two more distinctions than last year.
The official raising ceremony of the first Blue Flag on a coastal beach will take place on Fontinha Beach, in Porto Santo, Madeira, on June 1.
The first raising of the Blue Flag on a river beach will take place in Agroal, Ourém, in the district of Santarém, on June 7.
The first marina where the Blue Flag will be raised will be on May 31 in Porto de Recreio da Calheta, in Madeira.
The outstanding coastal and river beaches are distributed in the North (89, two more than last year), Center (48, one more), Tagus (75, one less), Alentejo (38, one less), Algarve (86, plus one), Azores (45, plus one) and Madeira (17, plus one).
The Blue Flag Program is an education program for sustainable development, promoted in Portugal by the Blue Flag Association of Europe, the Portuguese section of the Foundation for Environmental Education.
The bathing season of each year is defined in an ordinance, published in the Diário da República, which identifies the bathing waters and the definition of the respective season, considering that, at the national level, it runs from May 1 to October 30 .
Source: Observadora
