With 11 Blue Flag beaches, Orihuela has revalidated the title of the second city in Spain with the most awards for bathing quality, along with Vigo, and first place in the Valencian Community, thus maintaining this position for the fourth consecutive year.
Orihuela’s Councillor for Beaches, Antonio Sánchez, has pointed out that the Blue Flag is a badge that recognises meeting the highest quality requirements for bathing water and coastal sand, in addition to offering an adequate public information system and a good rescue and lifeguard service.
“With the work, perseverance and involvement of the different areas of the Orihuela town hall, we once again fully renew these badges that add so much value to our beaches and to our municipality as a national and international tourist destination,” said Sánchez.
Orihuela maintains this distinction on all its beaches, which are Punta Prima, Cala Bosque, La Caleta, Cala Capitán, Aguamarina, Campoamor, Barranco Rubio, Cala Estaca, Cala Mosca, Cala Cerrada and Mil Palmeras, along with the Campoamor marina, which has also renewed its recognition.
The Valencian region as a whole is also in the lead nationally, once again being recognised as the Spanish autonomous community with the most Blue Flags. Across the region, there are 158 distinctions, 21.67% of the national total, which recognise the quality and services of 139 beaches (two more than last year) and 19 marinas (compared to 16 in 2021).
In total, there are four beaches that have been awarded the blue flag for the first time by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC): l’Escullera and Marenyet, in Cullera, l’Ahuir beach in Gandia and Baladrar beach, in Benissa, have been included for their “excellent quality”, while that of Vivers, in Guardamar del Segura, recovers the award that it lost in 2016.
With regard to the ports, the three new ones premiere the recognition of the ADEAC. Specifically, they are the Club Náutico de Canet D’en Berenguer, the port in Benidorm and the Marina de las Salinas de Torrevieja, which puts Torrevieja in first place for marina distinctions.
The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition, Mireia Mollà, highlighted that the Valencian Community renews the first position year after year and congratulated the 35 municipalities awarded for “this recognition of joint work throughout. This distinction to our beaches and ports does nothing more than reinforce the guarantees of the Valencian coast in terms of water quality, provision of services and attractiveness for residents and visitors”.
The province of Alicante is the most awarded in all of Spain, with 91 blue flags (12.5% of the total), and widens its distance from the second and third places occupied by Pontevedra, with 63, and Malaga, with 44.
For its part, Castellón has a total of 32 flags (31 on beaches and one in marinas). Finally, the province of Valencia has achieved 35 distinctions and adds its first marina to the 34 beaches.
