San Juan beach in Alicante has made history once again by remaining one of only seven beaches globally to have uninterruptedly retained its blue flag status throughout the forty-year history of the international award. This prestigious accolade recognises environmental quality, safety, and services.
The blue flag certification is awarded by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac) across more than fifty countries. To receive it, beaches must meet strict criteria concerning water quality, environmental management, safety for bathers, and the services provided. San Juan beach stands out uniquely because it has held this recognition without a single interruption since the very first blue flags were handed out back in 1987.
Out of the seven beaches worldwide that have achieved this continuous four-decade success, three are located within the Alicante province. Alongside San Juan beach, the other local sites are Carrer la Mar beach in El Campello and La Fossa beach in Calpe. The global list of consecutive recipients is completed by El Carregador in Alcalà de Xivert, Sant Antoni in Cullera, Nord beach in Gandía, and Bastiagueiro in Oleiros (A Coruña).
In addition to these beaches, two nautical facilities in Alicante have also successfully kept their blue flags for all forty years of the scheme’s history. These are the Club Náutico de Altea and the Real Club Náutico de Calpe.
This year, Alicante city has successfully renewed the four blue flags it achieved in 2025 for its beaches at San Juan, El Postiguet, Urbanova, and Tabarca. However, Albufereta beach did not enter the selection process this time around following anomalous readings in certain water quality parameters during measurements taken last summer.
At a provincial level, Alicante has established itself once again as the territory with the highest number of blue flags in the Valencian Community. In total, the province holds 76 of the 120 flags awarded across the wider region, which continues to lead the national rankings for these quality marks.
The Mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, attended the official flag-raising ceremony at San Juan beach on Monday. During the event, he emphasised that the local beaches are amongst the best in the world and called for continued efforts to protect one of the city’s primary natural assets. Barcala stated that residents can be very proud of these forty years of commitment to the local beaches and the natural environment, linking the ongoing recognition directly to municipal policies focused on environmental conservation and the improvement of coastal spaces.
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