Is your European summer holiday on a black flag beach?

Holidaymakers heading to popular Spanish resorts, including Ibiza, Malaga, and Tenerife, this summer may want to rethink their dip in the sea. 

Ecologists in Action, a Spanish environmental NGO, has issued Black Flags to 48 beaches, warning of pollution, sewage discharges, plastic waste or environmental damage at these destinations.

Following a 5,000-mile inspection of the Spanish coastline, the annual Black Flag report blames urbanisation and mass tourism for these environmental issues. In some holiday hotpots, the group claims that sanitation systems can’t cope with surging tourist populations, resulting in sewage spillages. 

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Blacklisted beaches in the Costa del Sol and Canaries

Swathes of beaches in popular Spanish resort towns were blacklisted, including the Costa del Sol and the entire Malaga coastline, due to pollution. Sewage contamination was found at El Amerador Beach in El Campello, near Alicante. While Andalucia’s coastline received a whopping 10 Black Flags. 

A Black Flag rating doesn't necessarily mean the beach is dirty or polluted, as Black Flags are also issued due to light and noise pollution and overdevelopment in and around the beach. 

Beaches in Barcelona, Valencia, Cadiz and Granada were also singled out. Damage to underwater plants due to illegal boat anchoring and spillages from a treatment plant secured Talamanca beach in Ibiza, a listing.

Pollution in the Canary Islands resulted in Black Flags for Santa Cruz beach and the northwest coastline of Tenerife. Also on the list was Corralejo Dunes in Fuerteventura due to the impact of developments on its ecosystem. Playa Beach in Lanzarote was also highlighted after a sewage spill in May 2024 saw it close temporarily.

Ecologists in Action’s 48 Black Flag Beaches

La Farella, Girona, Catalonia

Various beaches on the Costa Brava, Girona, Catalonia

Comarca del Maresme, Barcelona, Catalonia

Sant Adrià del Besò, Barcelona, Catalonia

Camino de Ronda, Tarragona, Catalonia

Playa de la Pineda, Costa Dorada, Tarragona, Catalonia

Playa de L’Estany-Capicorb, Castellon, Valencia region

Playa de Burriana, Castellon, Valencia region

Beaches at the Parque Natural de l’Albufera, Valencia, Valencia region

Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Valencia region

Barranco y playa del Amerador, Alacant, Valencia region

Playas de Cap l’horta, Albufera, Postiguet and San Gabriel, Alacant, Valencia region

Mar Menor, Murcia region

Portman Bay and Sierra Minera, Murcia region

Playa Quitapellejos-Palomares, Almeria, Andalucia

Playa de ‘El Lancón’ en Carboneras, Almeria, Andalucia

Playa de Castell de Ferro, Granada, Andalucia

Playa Granada y Poniente, Granada, Andalucia

Playas de Malaga, Malaga, Andalucia

Coast of Malaga, Malaga, Andalucia

Tarifa, Cadiz, Andalucia

Costa de Trafalgar, Cadiz, Andalucia

Huelva river, Huelva, Andalucia

El Portil, Huelva, Andalucia

Aldán river, Concello de Cangas, Pontevedra, Galicia

Arousa river and Pontevedra river, Pontevedra, Galicia

Minera de Galicia, A Coruna, Galicia

Pereiro river and Ramisqueira river, A Coruna, Galicia

Alcoa pond, Lugo, Galicia

Galician coast, Lugo, Galicia

Port of Figueres, Asturies

Villaviciosa, Asturies

Playa de Usgo, Cantabria

San Román de la Llanilla, Cantabria

Lamiako marsh area, Bizkaia, Basque Country

Gernika and Murueta, Bizkaia, Basque Country

Santa Clara Island, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country

La Concha Island, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country

Cala Xarraca, Ibiza, Balearic Islands

Playa de Talamanca, Ibiza, Balearic Islands

Port of Melilla, Melilla

Melilla Bay, Melilla

Monte Hacho, Ceuta

Playa de Desnarigado, Ceuta

Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Corralejo Dunes, Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

La Tejita Beach (Granadilla), Puertito de Armeñime (Adeje), Tenerife, Canary Islands

Northwest coastline of Tenerife, Canary Islands

You can view the Black Flags map by Ecologists in Action

Where to find a top-rated Spanish seaside resort

There are still plenty of Spanish coastal locations for holidaymakers to enjoy this summer. Several destinations in our most recent Spanish seaside town survey received full marks for their beaches. 

It’s not just its Michelin-starred dining scene and pintxos bars which wowed visitors to San Sebastian. Readers also praised the best-rated seaside town for its five-star beaches, including family-friendly Ondarreta beach and surf spot Zurriola.

Cosmopolitan Sitges has a five-star beach for every type of traveller - there are 17 to choose from. The beaches of Calpe and Benidorm were also awarded five stars. 

Heading to Spain this summer? From peace and quiet to attractiveness and food and drink, see how readers rated your favourite seaside resort

How clean are the waters in the rest of the Mediterranean?

If you’re planning a trip to Cyprus, Croatia or Greece this summer, you’re in luck. According to the European Environment Agency these Mediterranean destinations (alongside Austria) have the best bathing water in Europe. 

The Bathing Water Directive, which monitors 22,000 bathing waters across Europe each season, found that in 2023, 97.6% of the bathing waters in Cyprus were excellent. In Croatia, 96.7% of bathing waters were rated excellent, while Greece wasn’t far behind with 95.8%. No bathing waters in any of these locations were rated as poor.

While Italy received a 90% excellent rating, 1.3% of bathing waters were poor. Spain achieved an 87.6% excellent rating with 1.7% poor, and France scored 74.9% excellent and 2.9% poor.

You can use the European Environment Agency's interactive map to find out how clean your beach destination is.

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