Blue Flag awards – Crete comes top for another year

13th May 2015 Yannis X Local News 0

The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPF), the national operator of the international Blue Flag program, on Wednesday announced the 395 beaches (down from 408 in 2014) and 9 marinas (from 10 in 2014) that would be receiving the Blue Flag awards in 2015. This year Greece comes 4th in world ranking (was second in 2014) among 49 countries worldwide, behind Spain, Turkey and France

The Blue Flag International Jury awarded a total of 4000 beaches and marinas worldwide. Spain ranked 1st with 561 Blue Flag beaches, Turkey was listed 2nd with 379beaches, France was in the 3rd place with 372.

The Blue Flag label is an international symbol of quality and is one of the most well-known environmental symbols worldwide. It has been awarded since 1987 to beaches and marinas meeting the strict requirements of the program. In order to receive a Blue Flag, a beach doesn’t only have to have an excellent quality of bathing water, it must also comply with a further 32 criteria concerning cleanliness, environmental management and organization, environmental education and information, visitor safety and services, as well as protection of nature, the coast and the coastal area. The program is run by the Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which has 63 members worldwide. Major international travel agencies take the program into great consideration.

In Greece FEE is represented by the EEPF, Greece’s oldest environmental organization.

Crete comes top of the awards for another year

Crete was awarded 100 Blue Flags, with 42 going to Lasithi, 15 to Heraklion, 16 to Rethymnon and 27 in Chania. The only marina to get an award in Crete was in Agios Nikolaos in Lasithi.

Six Apokoronas beaches got blue flags again this year: Maistrali, Xydas and Kyani in Kalyves, Almyrida, Kavros and Perastikos.

Here is a list of Crete’s Blue Flag beaches:

Chania

Municipality   Beach/Marina name

CHANION            Ag. Apostoloi 1               Wheelchair access to the beach

CHANION            Ag. Apostoloi 2

CHANION            Ag. Marina

CHANION            Ag. Onoufrios

APOKORONOU                 Almyrida          Wheelchair access to the beach

KANTANOU-SELINOU    Chalikia           Wheelchair access to the beach

CHANION            Chrysi

Kissamou             Falasarna/Pachia Ammos 1   Wheelchair access to the beach

KANTANOU – SELINOU Grammeno         Wheelchair access to the beach

CHANION            Kalamaki

CHANION            Kalathas

APOKORONOU                 Kalyves-Xyda       Wheelchair access to the beach

KISSAMOU         Kastelli/Mavros Molos – Plaka    Wheelchair access to the beach

APOKORONOU                 Kavros      Wheelchair access to the beach

PLATANIA           Kolymvari                  Wheelchair access to the beach

APOKORONOU                 Kyani        Wheelchair access to the beach

APOKORONOU                 Maistrali

CHANION            Marathi                        Wheelchair access to the beach

CHANION            Nea Chora                    Wheelchair access to the beach

KANTANOU – SELINOU Pachia Ammos Wheelchair access to the beach

APOKORONOU                 Perastikos      Wheelchair access to the beach

PLATANIAS         Platanias              Wheelchair access to the beach

PLATANIAS         Platanias/Limanaki          Wheelchair access to the beach

PLATANIA           Rapaniana

CHANION            Stalos

CHANION            Stavros

KANTANOU – SELINOU Voulismeni         Wheelchair access to the beach

Rehymno

RETHYMNIS        Adelianos Kampos A      Wheelchair access to the beach

MYLOPOTAMOY               Bali Livadi

MYLOPOTAMOU              Bali Varkotopos

AGIOU VASILIOU             Damnoni              Wheelchair access to the beach

MYLOPOTAMOU Lianos Kavos Lavris       Wheelchair access to the beach

MYLOPOTAMOU Panormo Limni              Wheelchair access to the beach

RETHYMNIS        Perivolia

RETHYMNIS        Pigianos Kampos              Wheelchair access to the beach

AGIOU VASILIOU Plakias                           Wheelchair access to the beach

RETHYMNIS        Rethymno 6                       Wheelchair access to the beach

RETHYMNIS        Rethymno 1                      Wheelchair access to the beach

RETHYMNIS        Rethymno 2

RETHYMNIS        Rethymno 3                       Wheelchair access to the beach

RETHYMNIS        Rethymno 4/Missiria     Wheelchair access to the beach

AGIOU VASILIOU             Rodakino

RETHYMNIS        Skaleta       Wheelchair access to the beach

Heraklion

CHERSONISOU Ag. Georgios 1

CHERSONISOU AG. GEORGIOS 2/PAN.RYZI

CHERSONISOU Ag. Georgios 3   Wheelchair access to the beach

MALEVIZIOU      Ammoudara 1

MALEVIZIOU      Ammoudara 4   Wheelchair access to the beach

MALEVIZIOU      Ammoudara 5   Wheelchair access to the beach

CHERSONISOU Anisaras               Wheelchair access to the beach

CHERSONISOU Drepanos            Wheelchair access to the beach

MALEVIZIOU      Ellinoperamata Wheelchair access to the beach

MALEVIZIOU      Fodele

GOUVES              Kokkini Chani     Wheelchair access to the beach

CHERSONISOU Chersonisou 5   Wheelchair access to the beach

FESTOU                Matala               Wheelchair access to the beach

CHERSONISOU Potamos

CHERSONISOU Potamos A         Wheelchair access to the beach

Lasith