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Date Published: 12/05/2022

ARCHIVED - The Region of Murcia gets 34 blue flags for its quality beaches in 2022 (none in the Mar Menor)

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Murcia has been recognised for the quality of its beaches, with one glaring, dirty exception

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - The Region of Murcia gets 34 blue flags for its quality beaches in 2022 (none in the Mar Menor)

The Playa del Pedrucho has been awarded a Blue Flag in 2022

The Region of Murcia will sport 34 Blue Flags this year, two more than last year, distributed among the 27 beaches and seven ports that have been awarded the prize for the quality of their bathing water, compliance with environmental regulations and the safety of visitors.

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognisable voluntary awards for beaches, certifying the best and cleanest beaches in the world.

In fact, since 2017, when the 19 flags held by the salt lagoon declined - dropping to a total of 26 - eight more distinctions have been achieved, five of them in marinas.

The new additions this year are the beach of El Pedrucho in San Javier, which recovers the flag it had previously lost, and the beaches of Banco del Tabal-Calnegre in San Javier and Cartagena, which, for the first time, presented a joint candidacy. In addition, the ‘Yacht Port’ in Cartagena is added to the list of Blue Flag ports.

Notably, there are no beaches on the Mar Menor with a Blue Flag for the sixth consecutive year. Since the Mar Menor beaches lost their Blue Flags in 2017, the coastal councils concerned have decided not to submit an application to the Blue Flag committee, possibly to avoid the frustration of having their candidacy rejected, in view of the despicably polluted state of the salt lagoon.

However, sources in the Regional Government insist that the waters of the Mar Menor are suitable for bathing, according to microbiological analytical results.

Spain as a whole has more Blue Flag beaches than anywhere else in the world, with a total of 729, which is 16 more than last year.

Águilas has the most Blue Flags in Murcia

In Murcia, Águilas is still the municipality with the most flags, with 11 (nine beaches and two ports). It is followed by Mazarrón with nine (seven beaches), while Cartagena has six, including two ports; and San Javier has two, in addition to the joint candidacy of Tabal-Calnegre.

San Pedro del Pinatar will have a Blue Flag on one beach and one port and Lorca maintains the Calnegre beach.

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