Antalya leads world with 232 Blue Flag beaches in 2026 awards

Antalya, which has the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the world, has started distributing its 2026 Blue Flag awards.

According to the 2026 Blue Flag Awards announced by the Foundation for Environmental Education, Türkiye received Blue Flag status for 580 beaches this year, including 232 beaches in Antalya alone, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Officials from Türkiye Environmental Education Foundation began delivering the new flags to qualifying beaches. One of the first visits was to Mermerli Beach, where inspections were also carried out.

TÜRÇEV Antalya Coordinator Mustafa Ergiydiren said Türkiye ranks third in the world for Blue Flag beaches after Spain and Greece.

He added that Antalya remains the world’s leading city for Blue Flag beaches with 232 awarded beaches, ahead of cities in Spain, Greece, and France.

Ergiydiren said the achievement was possible thanks to cooperation between institutions, citizens, and tourists. He stressed that inspections continue throughout the tourism season and focus on beach cleanliness, safety equipment, lifeguard quality, and environmental awareness information.

He also noted that beaches with poor cleanliness records over the past four years cannot apply for Blue Flag certification.

Photo: Wikipedia