74 beaches, 2 Marinas awarded Blue Flag

A total of 74 beaches in Cyprus and the Limassol and Ayia Napa Marinas were awarded a prestigious Blue Flag for 2022.

At Tuesday’s award ceremony, Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis said it was an important achievement for Cyprus.

Out of 120 beaches, 74 of them and two Marinas were awarded a Blue Flag this year.

He said it proves how well the environment and public health protection measures are implemented.

A prerequisite for awarding a beach with the Blue Flag is the excellent quality of bathing waters.

In addition, he said, 33 other assessment criteria are taken into account for beaches and 38 for marinas, which certify the safety of bathers, the cleanliness and organisation of the beach and the coastal area, and the protection of natural resources and the promotion of environmental awareness.

The Blue Flag institution gives added value to tourism, actively promoting the principles of ecology and sustainability, said Kadis.

He also reminded that in 2020, Cyprus ranked first in all of Europe for the quality of its bathing waters, with a 100% compliance rate with the relevant European Directive.

Results of the evaluation of the bathing waters evaluation by the European Commission for 2021 have not been announced yet, but are expected by the end of the month.

Through the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture has the overall responsibility for implementing the Law on the Management of the Quality of Bathing Waters, collaborating with the Health Services and the State Lab.