ONE of Benidorm’s main beaches has been stripped of its Blue Flag this year. The popular Poniente beach failed to be awarded the coveted flag which recognises European standards in safety and cleanliness, although the city’s other two beaches, Levante and Mal Pas, have retained theirs.
The city council blames a test carried out in the summer of 2021 and have vowed to challenge the decision, which was announced on Wednesady, calling it ‘unfair’ as it was adopted on the basis of the result of a single analysis carried out in mid-June 2021 at just one point on the beach.
The Blue Flag certifies excellence and is granted annually by the European Federation for Environmental Education (FEE) and are highly coveted, especially in areas like Benidorm where tourism is such a key industry.
Benidorm councillor Mónica Gómez, whose remit includes beaches, explained that “the samples and analyses carried out by the Municipal Laboratory on the relevant dates certify that the result obtained by the FEE in one of the two areas analysed is a one-off and isolated, and consequently does not determine the quality and excellence of the water and sand on the beach”. Gómez insisted that “Benidorm’s beaches are constantly checked by different bodies and comply with the most demanding quality certifications”.
She also pointed out that all three beaches in the city of skyscrapers have held the Q for Quality certification for more than a decade.
Gómez clarified that “the rest of the parameters of the Poniente beach, such as accessibility and the services provided, are excellent, just like the other two beaches”. Hence the decision taken by the FEE “is unfair, especially if we consider that Benidorm’s beaches are accessible throughout the year and the only ones with cleaning and rescue devices during the twelve months of the year”
The councillor said that “the Beaches Department and the Municipal Laboratory have issued reports certifying the quality of all the parameters which can be analysed for the award of the Blue Flag and which will be sent to the competent body as part of an appeal against the decision not to renew the award for Poniente beach”
Meanwhile, for the region as a whole it has been a bumper year with a total of 139 Blue Flags awarded for the Comunitat Valenciana for 2022. Valencia is now the region with the highest number of beaches with Blue Flags across Spain, more than Andalucia and Galicia, and two more than were awarded last year.
Here is the list full for the Valencia region:
Alcalá de Xivert
- El Carregador
- El Moro
- La Romana
- Manyetes
Almassora
- Benafeli
Benicarló
- La Caracola
- Morrongo
Benicàssim
- Dels Terrers
- Heliópolis
- L´Almadrava
- Torre de Sant Vicent
- Voramar
Burriana
- El Grao-Malvarrosa
- L´Arenal
Castellón de la Plana
- Gurugú
- Pinar
Moncofa
- Grao
- L’Estanyol
- Masbó
- Pedra Roja
Nules
- Marines
Oropesa del Mar
- La Conxa
- Les Amplaries
- Morro de Gos
- Plagetes de Bellver
Peñíscola
- Nord
- Torreblanca
- Nord
Vinaròs
- Fora Forat
- Forti
Xilxes
- El Cerezo
- Les Cases
Bellreguard
- Bellreguard
Canet d’en Berenguer
- Racó de la Mar
Cullera
- Cap Blanc
- El Dossel
- El Far
- Escollera NUEVA
- Los Olivos
- Marenyet-L’illa NUEVA
- Racó
- Sant Antoni
Daimús
- Daimús
Gandía
- Auir NUEVA
- Nord
La Pobla de Farnals
- Norte
- Miramar
- Miramar
Oliva
- L’ Aigua Morta
- L’Aigua Blanca
- Pau-Pi
- Terranova-Burguera
Piles
- Piles
Puçol
- Puçol
Sagunt
- Corint
- L’Almardá
- Port de Sagunt
Tavernes de la Valldigna
- La Goleta
- Tavernes de la Valldigna
Valencia
- Cabanyal
- El Saler
- L’ Arbre del Gos
- La Devesa
- La Garrofera
- Malva-Rosa
- Recatí-Perellonet
Xeraco
- Xeraco
Alicante
- L’Albufereta
- Postiguet
- Saladar-Urbanova
- Sant Joan
- Tabarca
Altea
- Cap Blanc
- La Roda
- L’Espigó
Benidorm
- Llevant
- Mal Pas
Benissa
- Cala Baladrar NUEVA
- Cala Fustera
Calp
- Cantal Roig
- La Fossa
- L’Arenal-Bol
Denia
- Les Bovetes
- Les Deveses
- Les Marines
- Marineta Cassiana
- Molins
- Punta del Raset
El Campello
- Carrer de la Mar
- Mutxavista
El Poble Nou de Benitatxell
- Cala del Moraig
Elx
- Arenals del Sol-Sur
- Carabassí
- L’Altet
- La Marina
- Les Pesqueres-El Rebollo
Guardamar del Segura
- Centre
- El Moncaio
- La Roqueta
- Dels Vivers
L’Alfàs del Pi
- Racó de L’Albir
Orihuela
- Aguamarina
- Barranco Rubio
- Cabo Roig -La Caleta
- Cala Capitán
- Cala Cerrada
- Cala Estaca
- Cala Mosca
- Campoamor-La Glea
- La Zenia- Cala Bosque
- Mil Palmeras
- Punta Prima
Pilar de la Horadada
- Conde
- Higuericas
- Jesuitas
- Mil Palmeras
- Puerto
- Rocamar
Santa Pola
- Calas del Este
- Calas Santiago
- Bernabéu
- La Ermita
- Llevant
- Tamarit
- Varador
Teulada
- El Portet
- La Ampolla
- Les Platgetes
Torrevieja
- Cabo Cervera
- Cala de las Piteras
- El Cura
- Los Locos
- Los Náufragos
- Torrelamata-Sur
Vila Joiosa
- Bon Nou
- Ciutat (Centro)
- La Caleta
- Paradís
- Varadero
Xàbia
- L´Arenal
- Granadella
- La Grava
The Valencia Report 