This year they are in Italy 11 more Blue Flags: the Italian municipalities that have obtained recognition are in fact 257 against 246 last year, for a total of 525 beaches (11.6% of the Blue Flag beaches awarded worldwide!). There are 14 new entrances and 3 exits, and the lake Blue Flags have risen to 23. The region with the record is Liguria.
The international recognition is awarded to the seaside and lakeside locations of 50 European countries and non-European countries and to tourist ports with better water, environment and services, every year, from Foundation for Environmental Education (Fee), an international NGO based in Copenhagen, since 1987, the European Year of the Environment. The Fee assigns them to the seaside tourist resorts they respect criteria relating to sustainable land managementwith the support and participation of the two UN agencies: UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation).
The ranking of Italian regions: the complete list
This year, the Italian record was won by Liguriawith well 35 Blue Flags (with 359km of coast), while at the bottom of the ranking is the Molisewhich barely has any 2 (with 35-36 km of coast). The Blue Flags on the lakes have risen to 23, with the entry of a new lakeside municipality.
- Liguria: 35 (2 new entries)
- Puglia: 27 (2 new entries and 2 exits)
- Calabria: 27 (4 new entries)
- Campania: 20
- Marche: 20
- Tuscany: 20 (1 new entry)
- Sardinia: 17 (1 new entry)
- Sicily: 16 (2 new entries)
- Abruzzo: 16
- Trentino-Alto Adige: 12
- Emilia Romagna: 11 (1 new entry)
- Lazio: 10 (1 exit)
- Veneto: 9
- Basilicata: 5
- Piedmont: 4
- Lombardy: 4 (1 new entry)
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia: 2
- Molise: 2
The 14 new Blue Flags of 2026: where they are found in Italy
This year there were 14 new entries in the list:
- in Lombardy: Limone sul Garda (Brescia), the new lakeside municipality;
- in Emilia Romagna: Rimini; in Liguria Andora (Savona), Taggia (Imperia);
- in Tuscany: Monte Argentario (Grosseto);
- in Sardinia: Teulada (Sulcis Iglesiente);
- in Puglia: Morciano di Leuca (Lecce), Tricase (Lecce);
- in Calabria: Amendolara (Cosenza), Montegiordano (Cosenza), Falerna (Catanzaro), Locri (Reggio Calabria);
- in Sicily: Ispica (Ragusa), Lipari (Messina).
Three municipalities have instead lost recognition this year: San Felice Circeo (Latina), in Lazio; Patù (Lecce) and Castrignano del Capo (Lecce), in Puglia.
The criteria for awarding the Blue Flag
As stated on the Fee website, one of the main pillars of the Blue Flag program is environmental and sustainability educationwith initiatives aimed at raising awareness of sustainable development in freshwater, marine areas and on boats.
THE criteria for assignment of the Blue Flag are:
- absolute validity of bathing watersexcellent results on an evaluation of the last 4 years, and regular water sampling carried out during the summer season;
- efficiency of purification of waste water and the sewerage network;
- waste sorting and correct management of hazardous waste;
- vast pedestrian areas, cycle paths, well-kept street furniture, green areas;
- beaches equipped with all services and staff rescue worker, removal of architectural barriers; large space dedicated to environmental education courses;
- publication of data on bathing waters;
- hotel facilities, public health services, tourist information, updated signage;
- environmental certification of institutional activities and tourist facilities present in the municipal area;
- presence of fishing activities well integrated into the context of the seaside location.
