- 22 Greek beaches lost Blue Flag status due to unmet criteria.
- Inspections found issues with services, cleanliness, and safety.
- Blue Flag team emphasizes water quality remains high.
- Four beaches in Crete were affected.
Greece’s treasured Blue Flag beaches, known for their pristine conditions and high standards, have faced a significant setback. A total of 22 beaches have lost their Blue Flag status for 2024 due to various shortcomings discovered during surprise inspections:
- Akti Schoinias Karavi, Marathon Municipality, Attica
- Coast 1 Limanaki Daskaleio Kerateas/Solo Pino, Lavreotiki Municipality, Attica
- Akti Psaltos/Mitsis Lindos Memories Resort, Rhodes Municipality, Dodecanese
- Akti Kallithea, Rhodes Municipality, Dodecanese
- Akti Mikros Gialos, Rhodes Municipality, Dodecanese
- Akti Amnisos/Pnoe Breathing Life, Hersonissos Municipality, Heraklion
- Akti Ermones, Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands Municipality, Corfu
- Akti Ag. Gordios/La Grotta Verde, Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands Municipality, Corfu
- Akti Mylos Ormou Korthiou, Andros Municipality, Andros
- Akti Provatas, Milos Municipality, Apple
- Akti Kalafatis/Aphrodite Beach Resort, Mykonos Municipality, Mykonos
- Akti Agia Anna/Maragas, Naxos Municipality, Naxos
- Akti Agios Georgios, Naxos Municipality, Naxos
- Akti Agios Prokopios, Naxos Municipality, Naxos
- Akti Ag. Fokas/Marathia, Tinos Municipality, Tinos
- Akti Ierapetra 1/Dimotiki, Ierapetra Municipality, Lasithi
- Akti Koinotiki Plaz Makrygialou, Ierapetra Municipality, Lasithi
- Akti Myrtos, Ierapetra Municipality, Lasithi
- Akti Mega Ammos (Rock), Preveza Municipality, Preveza
- Akti Koutloumousiou, Sithonia Municipality, Halkidiki
- 2 Akti Nea Roda, Aristoteli Municipality, Halkidiki
- Akti Ouranoupolis 1/Xenia Ouranoupolis, Aristoteli Municipality, Halkidiki
Inspectors from the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature and international experts performed unannounced visits and discovered several deficiencies. Consequently, these beaches did not make it to the national and international lists for the Blue Flag award. The affected beaches either failed to organize for this year’s swimming season or did not comply with the strict criteria the Blue Flag Program set.
Specific Beaches in Crete:
- Amnisos Beach, Municipality of Hersonissos
- Ierapetra 1, Municipality of Ierapetra
- Makrygialou Beach, Municipality of Ierapetra
- Myrtos Beach, Municipality of Ierapetra
Reasons for Losing Blue Flag Status
The Blue Flag assessors found several areas where the beaches did not meet the required standards:
- Service Provision: Insufficient amenities for bathers and visitors, including those with disabilities.
- Cleanliness: Failure to maintain cleanliness on the beaches.
- Information Accuracy: Incorrect or inadequate information provided to visitors.
- Safety Measures: Lapses in safety protocols for bathers and visitors.
- Environmental Management: Poor handling of environmental practices.
- Space Management: Overlapping and ineffective use of free coastal space.
Consequences and Future Inspections
The deadline for maintaining the Blue Flag status was July 1, and the beaches in question failed to meet this. The National Crisis Committee and the Program Coordinating Committee decided to withdraw their Blue Flag designations to maintain the institution’s credibility and prestige.
Inspections will continue across all awarded beaches in the country. Most of these visits will remain unannounced. If further shortcomings are discovered, more beaches will face a similar fate and will be reported in future press releases.
The Blue Flag Program clarifies that the withdrawals stem from organizational failures. However, the quality of bathing waters at these beaches remains excellent according to program standards.
