From Ligurian beaches to the southern coasts, from lakes to tourist ports: the
recognition confirms a coastal Italy increasingly attentive to quality
of waters, to land management and reception.
The Blue Flags awarded in 2026 make up an itinerary throughout the country, from
Garda to the islands, from the great Adriatic coastlines to the bays of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. Italian
Traditions takes you among the locations that have achieved this recognition
international, awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education to
marine and lake destinations capable of combining environmental protection, safety, accessibility
and attention to the landscape.
This year Italy achieved an important result: 257 locations were included
in the list, for a total of 525 beaches and 87 tourist landing places. It’s not just about
of a ranking of the clearest sea, but of an overall assessment that
also considers the quality of bathing water and the services offered to residents and
tourists.
Liguria still leads the regional ranking, with 35 municipalities awarded. A
record that confirms the region’s weight in Italian seaside tourism, between Riviera di
Western, Gulf of Tigullio, Cinque Terre and Gulf of Poets. Immediately after they place themselves
Puglia and Calabria, with 27 localities each: two very different territories, but
united by extensive coasts and a strong attraction for visitors. Campania follows,
Marche and Tuscany, all at 20, testifying to a wide distribution that
it concerns not only the most famous destinations, but also coastal centers that in recent years
have invested in tourism provision and landscape protection.
Among the new features, entrances from North to South stand out. Limone sul Garda enters Lombardy,
while in Liguria Andora and Taggia are added. In Emilia-Romagna he returns to the forefront
Rimini, which reconquers the Blue Flag after fifteen years, bringing with it a strong
symbolic value for one of the historic capitals of Italian holidays. In Tuscany
Monte Argentario enters; in Puglia, Tricase and Morciano di Leuca obtain the title,
while Calabria records four new entries: Amendolara, Montegiordano, Locri
and Falerna. The painting is completed by Lipari and Ispica in Sicily and Teulada in Sardinia,
destinations that tell the story well of the variety of the Italian sea, between archipelagos, coasts
rocky, sandy beaches and Mediterranean landscapes.
Alongside the new revenue, many now consolidated destinations remain
in the seaside imagination of the country. Sanremo, Sestri Levante, Forte dei Marmi,
Senigallia, Polignano a Mare, Vieste, Palinuro, Tropea, Cagliari and Taormina are
just some of the destinations on the list. The Blue Flag, in this sense, becomes
also a key to understanding the territory: it not only indicates where to bathe, but
indicates places where the holiday is linked to a more conscious management of the coast.
The national delivery took place in Rome, at the headquarters of the National Council of
Research, in the presence of the mayors of the municipalities involved. From that moment on, the banner
accompanied the start of the summer season through public ceremonies and
moments of local involvement.
In Rimini, the official flag-raising took place in Piazzale Kennedy, near the catwalk
Ausa, marking the city’s return to the award-winning locations. In Borgio Verezzi, Liguria,
The Blue Flag Festival involved beach resorts, administration, schools
and citizens, with a procession along the beach and interventions dedicated to education
environmental. In Pesaro, in the Marche region, the ceremony at the Moletto confirmed the
twenty-second consecutive recognition of the city, emphasizing shared work
between institutions, tourism operators and communities.
They are different examples, but they point in the same direction: the Blue Flag is not just a
symbol to display on the coast, but also a commitment to maintain. For many municipalities
means making visible a path made up of controls, organization, cleaning and projects
environmental. For residents and visitors, however, it becomes an invitation to look at these places
not as simple holiday scenarios, but as fragile and precious assets.
This year’s result therefore confirms a strong seaside Italy, but increasingly
called to protect what makes her known in the world. From the most famous beaches to
small coastal towns, from lakes to islands, the blue banner tells of territories that have
able to transform natural beauty into concrete responsibility. And this is exactly where
the award takes on its most authentic meaning: to enhance not only the sea, but
even the way the Beautiful Country chooses to guard it.