“Blue Flag” status removed from twelve Greek beaches

The Blue Flag award on a Greek beach. Photo: EUROKINISSI

Staff writers
31 July 2025 1:38pm

Twelve of Greece’s beaches/coasts awarded a “Blue Flag” by the international organisation ‘Foundation for Environmental Education’ have had it withdrawn from the national and international list of 2025.

The coordinators of the “Blue Flag” program revealed that specific coasts lost their award because they either were not organised this year’s swimming season or did not meet the strict criteria of the program, as determined by the evaluations so far.

Those responsible note, however, that the withdrawal on these coasts is due to poor organisation and that the quality of the bathing waters remains, according to the program’s standards, excellent.

According to the program procedure, the evaluators of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature and international evaluators who made unannounced visits generally found deficiencies in the required compliance with the criteria that specifically related to: provision of services to bathers and visitors (including disabled people), safety of bathers/visitors and correct information).

The deadline for posting the Blue Flag was 1 July.

The members of the National Crisis Committee and the Program Coordinating Committee decided, as foreseen, to withdraw the awards in order to preserve the prestige and credibility of the institution.

At the same time, as announced by the program managers, inspection visits continue to all the awarded coasts of the country, visits that, for the most part, are made unannounced, while if deficiencies in compliance with the criteria are found on other coasts, other withdrawals will follow, which will be announced in subsequent press releases.

The 12 coasts that are being withdrawn are as follows: