Crystal clear waters in Nerja |
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Blue Flag Beaches on the Costa del Sol 2014-2022
Find below a list of the beaches of Costa del Sol (west to east) that have been awarded a Blue Flag for the summer season (mid June to mid September) in each of the last few years. Read about the Blue Flag system.
As the Blue flag awards have grown over the years the requirments have also grown. Each town hall submits an application in the autumn of the previous year and commits to not just clean bathing water but showers, life-guards, signage and environmental awareness programmes. It has become necessary for town halls to carefully select the potential Blue Flag beaches for the necessary infrastructure investment in preparation for the Blue Flag application. The successful applications are listed below, unsucessful applications are not published. The quiet and perhaps isolated 'virgin' beaches enjoyed by many can not, by definition, be awarded a Blue flag.
In 2022 the Costa del Sol boasts a record 36 Blue Flag beaches two more (Maro and Sabinillas) than 2021. Malaga city retains the seven Blue flag beaches gained in 2021. Marbella retains seven of 2021 which was more than previous years but less then the nine in 2014. Notable absences are Rincon de La Victoria and Estepona. Estpona was awarded four in 2018 but only two in 2019 and 2020 not including the flagship La Rada. In 2020 Estepona returned both awards, presumably unhappy with the award system and made no applications in 2021 or 2022. Congratulations to Nerja for Maro beach being added to the list for the first time in 2022
Destinations are listed along the Costa del Sol from West to East.
| Destinations | Beaches | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manilva | El Castillo | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Sabinillas | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | |
| Casares | Playa Ancha | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Estepona | Arroyo Vaquero | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y/N | N | N |
| El Cristo | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y/N | N | N | |
| La Rada | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| El Padrón | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| El Saladillo | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Marbella | Guadalmina/San Pedro | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Puerto Banús (Nueva Andalucia) | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Puerto Banús (Levante) | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Río Verde | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Casablanca | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Faro | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Venus | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Bajadilla | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | inc | Inc | |
| El Cable | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Pinillo | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Adelfas - Alicate | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Artola (Cabopino) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | |
| Mijas | Calahonda | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| El Bombo | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Cala | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Fuengirola | Castillo | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Fuengirola | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Los Boliches - Gaviotas | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Carvajal | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Benalmádena | Malapesquera - Santa Ana | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Torrebermeja - Santa Ana | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Torrevigia | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Fuente de la Salud | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Torremolinos | Los Alamos | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y |
| Malaga | Misericordia | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y |
| San Andres | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| La Malagueta | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| La Caleta | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Pedregalejo | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| El Palo | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| El Dedo | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Rincon de la Victoria | Cala del Moral | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Río Seco | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Torre del Benalgalbón | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Vélez-Malaga | Benajarafe | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Torre del Mar | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Caleta Paso | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Algarrobo | Algarrobo Costa | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y; | Y | Y |
| Torrox | Ferrara | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y |
| El Morche | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Nerja | Torrecilla | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y |
| Burriana | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | |
| Maro | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | |
| Ardales | Playa Ardales (Reservior) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y |
Take a look at which beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag status on the Costa del Sol. Destinations are listed along the coast from West to East.
Take a look at what beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag status on the Costa Tropical. Destinations are listed along the coast from West to East.
Take a look at what beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag status on the Costa de la Luz. Destinations are listed along the coast from West to East.
Take a look at what beaches have been regularly awarded a Blue Flag status on the Costa Almeria. Destinations are listed along the coast from West to East.
