Greece has placed second among 52 countries in the 2025 Blue Flag quality awards, with 623 beaches, 17 marinas, and 17 sustainable tourism boats recognised for meeting environmental criteria.
The results were announced on May 15 at the Glyfada Golf Gardens in Attica by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPF), which manages the Blue Flag program in Greece.
Spain retained the top spot, with Greece following.
Greece represents 15 per cent of all Blue Flag-certified beaches worldwide this year.
This is the second year in a row the country has surpassed 600 awarded sites.
Halkidiki recorded the highest number of Blue Flag beaches among Greece’s prefectures with 104, up from 94 in 2024.
Among regions, Crete had the most beaches recognised, with 146.
The Blue Flag program is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), based in Copenhagen.
For 2025, the FEE awarded Blue Flags to 4,302 beaches, 736 marinas, and 158 tourism boats.
Established in 1987, the Blue Flag label is based on criteria such as water quality, environmental education, safety, and accessibility.
Beaches must meet 33 criteria to qualify, marinas are assessed against 38, and tourism boats against 51.
