Crete's Blue Flag Beach Awards 2011 - Many Boast Good Accessibility

(List Compiled by LivinginCrete.gr and Brits in Crete.gr)

In 2011 Crete Gets Most Regional Blue Flag Awards Again

Great Local Beaches :One of the Benefits for Ex-Pats Living in Crete

In 2011 the Greek Island of #Crete boasts 98 Blue Flag Beach Awards (97 in 2010) and one Blue Flag Marina Award. Lassithi Prefecture was accredited with the most awards for its 40 Blue Flag great local beaches and its blue flag Yachting Marina - the only one in Crete, located in Aghios Nikolaos. These are enviromentally friendly local beaches - If you want to be an Ex-pat living in Crete, you'll love the beaches. Many beaches have excellent accessibility too for handicapped persons with restricted mobility.

As for Crete's other prefectures, Chania offers 26 Blue Flag beaches, Heraklion 14 beaches and Rethymnon with 18 beaches.

For the year 2011, Greece was awarded a total of 387 (421 in 2010) Blue Flags, a prestigious status for its beaches along with 9 marinas (9 in 2010). That is a further re-assuring incentive for a long term visit and living near the Greek coast.

Across Greece, the re-organisation of local government municipalities into larger groupings (Kalokratis) with effect from June 2010 means it is not always meaningful to give a direct comparison with the number of Blue Flag Beach awards in previous years to a given municipality. 

Question: What Defines a Blue Flag Beach?

Answer: The criteria used to define a beach's quality includes water cleanliness; whether cars are banned from the beach area; provision for overnight camping, or that the planning for such necessities such as restrooms has been eco-tested and eco-friendly. This year Greece is placing greater emphasis on Blue Flag beach areas being fully accessible by the handicapped with restricted mobility. Other requirements include the provision of trained lifeguards, convenience of emergency phones.

Question: What is the Blue Flag programme?

Answer: Eco-Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-labelling scheme that is awarded to over 3450 beaches and marinas in 41 countries in Europe, Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, Morocco, New Zealand, South Africa and Tunisia. In each country an organisation is nominated to represent the scheme. In Greece the NGO is known as the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) based in Athens.

Question: Who Manages the Blue Flag Scheme?

Answer: From Copenhagen, the Blue Flag programme is managed by the independent non-governmental, non-profit organisation known as the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). FEE applies strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services.

Question: What is the mission of the scheme?

Answer: The Blue Flag mission objective is for sustainable development at accredited beaches and marinas. The programme includes environmental education and information for the public, decision makers and tourism operators. 

Crete's list of Blue Flag Beaches  and Yacht Marina 2011

* Asterisk Denotes Beaches with Accessability for those with Restricted Mobility

NOMOS/PREFECTURE of LASITHI [40 Blue Flag Beaches]

Lassithi has the most BLUE FLAG beaches of the four prefectures on Crete

Municipality Agiou Nikolaou/Aghios Nikolaos (includes Vrachassiou/Vrahassi/Sissi) Poros Beach No 1*, Poros Beach No 2* (geo:lat=35.189180 , geo:lon=25.717255) Elounda* Elounda Beach No 1  Elounda Pigaidakia  Schisma*  Driros Chiona Plaka* Chavania Beach No 2* Agios Nikolaos Beach No 1 Spiliada* (Kalimera Kriti Hotel, Sissi) (geo:lat=35.30837584116, geo:lon=25.515627780889)  Agios Nikolaos Beach No 3 Ammoudi* Kitroplateia Ammos/Marina (geo:lat=35.187067, geo:lon=25.715947)  Almyros* Ammos/Dimotiki Pilos Ammoudara*  Voulisma* Agios Panteleimonas*

Municipality Sitias/Siteia (includes Itanou/Itanos (Palekastro) Sitia Beach No 1/Galliko (geo:lat=35.207802, geo:lon=26.106360)  Sitia Beach No 2/Petra* Sitia Beach No 3/Karavopetra  Vai/Finikodasos* Kouremenos Chiona Kato Zakros Vourlia* Limanaki*

Municipality Ierapetras/Ierapetra (includes Makrigialos) Ierapetra Beach No 1 /Dimotiki* Ierapetra Beach No 2 /Dimotiki Agia Fotia Myrtos Koutsounari /Agios Ioannis Koutsounari Beach No 2 Katharades Beach No 1  Analipsi*  Makrygialos/Langoufa

NOMOS/PREFECTURE of CHANIA [26 Blue Flag Beaches]

Municipality Kantanou Selinou (includes Pelekanou/Pelekanos/Paleochora) Pacheia Ammos* (geo:lat=35.237473, geo:lon=23.694491)  Chalikia*  Limnaki* Grammeno*  Voulismeni*

Municipality Platania (includes Kolymvari) Maleme* Platanias* (geo:lat=35.521229, geo:lon=23.885028)  Platanias /Limanaki*  Kolymvari* (geo:lat=35.542121, geo:lon=23.783159)>

Municipality Chanion/Hania (includes Nea Kydonias and Akrotiri) Stalos  Ag. Apostoli Beach No 1*  Ag. Apostoli Beach No 2  Chrissi Akti  Agia Marina  Kalamaki  Nea Chora*  Marathi*  Stavros  Agios Onoufrios  Kalathas

Municipality Apokoronou (includes Armenon/Armeni, Kalives/Kalyves, Vamou/Vamos, Georgiopoulis) Maistrali* (geo:lat=35.451804, geo:lon=24.175901)  Kalyves Xyda* Kyani*  Almyrida* (geo:lat=35.449326, geo:lon=24.202495) Kavros* (geo:lat=35.355517, geo:lon=24.280189)  Perastikos*

NOMOS/PREFECTURE of RETHYMNO [18 Blue Flag Beaches]

Municipality Rethymnis/Rethymnon Rethymno Beach No 1* Rethymno Beach No 2 Rethymno Beach No 3* Rethymno Beach No 4/Missiria* Platanias/Rethymno Beach No 6*  Perivolia  Adelianos Kampos A*  Pigianos Kampos*  Skaleta

Municipality Mylopotamou (includes Geropotamou/Geropotamos) Panormos/Limni* Lianos Kavos Lavris* Bali Varkotopos Bali Livadi

Municipality Agiou Vassiliou (includes Lambis) Damnoni* Plakias* Souda  Agia Galini/Istero Varkotopi*  Rodakino

NOMOS/PREFECTURE of IRAKLIO/Heraklion [14 Blue Flag Beaches]

Municipality Maleviziou (includes Gaziou/Gazi) Ellinoperamata* Fodele Ammoudara Beach No 1 Ammoudara Beach No 4* Ammoudara Beach No 5*

Municipality Chersonissou/Hersonissos (includes Mallion/Malia) Limenas Chersonissou Beach No 5* Agios Georgios Beach No 1 Agios Georgios Beach No 3* Anisaras* Agios Georgios 2/Panagia Rizi Drepanos*  Potamos  Potamos A

Municipality Tympakiou/Timbaki Matala*

Crete's Blue Flag Marina Award LASITHI/LASSITHI

Municipality Agiou Nikolaou/Aghios Nikolaos Marina Agiou Nikolaou* (geo:lat=35.189180, geo:lon=25.717255)  The Agios Nikolaos yachting and pleasure craft mooring site  first won the Blue Flag in the year 2004.  Note: A Marina with a Blue Flag means - the waters are crystal clear - its management is good - to put priority on safety - its management's efforts are environmentally-friendly!  * Asterisk Denotes Beaches and Marina Accessability for Visitors  with Restricted Mobility

Note: Photograph at page top is a view of Ammos/Marina Beach(geo:lat=35.30837584116, geo:lon=25.515627780889)one of the Blue Flag Beaches in the heart of Aghios Nikolaos town. Many of Crete's excellent beach facilities include accessibility for the handicapped and those with restricted mobility. Photo Copyright © LivinginCrete.gr /Brits in Crete.gr .