Turismo Sostenible

Blue flags, a quality incentive to enjoy the summer in Galicia

This year, a total of 112 Galician beaches are flying the blue flag, which is also flying at 11 marinas, 14 environmental education centres and 29 footpaths.

Blue colour reigns once again this summer on the Galician coastline and, thanks to the famous blue flags, has become an important reason to visit this land and discover the rest of Galicia’s offerings. The blue flagscreated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and managed in Spain by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC) have once again distinguished Galicia, placing it, along with Valencia and Andalusia, on the podium of the autonomous communities with the most flags awarded in 2022. This recognises not only the quality of its waters, but also the effort made to provide them with services in accordance with criteria such as accessibility and sustainability.

Galicia has a total of 112 blue flags on its beaches, one more than in 2021, and holds one out of every six flags on the Spanish coastline, which demonstrates the effort made to enhance the value of these outstanding areas of our coasts. Furthermore, it can also boast of having the municipality with the most flags in the whole country: Sanxenxo, which has a total of 17.

Blue Flag beaches

As Lapas, Orzán-Matadero, Oza, Riazor and San Amaro (A Coruña), Caión (A Laracha), A Hucha, A Salsa, Barrañán, Combouzas, O Reiro, Porto de Suevos, Sabón and Valcobo (Arteixo), As Pontes Lake (As Pontes de García Rodríguez), Gandarío (Bergondo), Arou (Camariñas), Pedra do Sal, Razo and As Saíñas (Carballo), O Ézaro (Dumbría), A Fragata-O Pereixal, Doniños, Esmelle and San Xurxo (Ferrol), Laxe (Laxe), Perbes-Andahío (Miño), Bastiagueiro, Espiñeiro, Mera, Naval and Santa Cristina (Oleiros), A Ermida, Balarés and O Osmo (Ponteceso), Coroso (Ribeira), A Pasada, Coto and Fontela Valea (Barreiros), A Marosa, O Portelo and Ril (Burela), O Torno (Cervo), A Rapadoira, Areousa, As Polas, Llas and Peizás (Foz), Abrela and Xilloi (O Vicedo), As Catedrais and Os Castros-Illas (Ribadeo), Area (Viveiro), Esteiro (Xove), Area Grande and O Muíño (A Guarda), Area da Secada and Bao (A Illa de Arousa), Barbeira, Concheira, Frades, Ladeira, Ribeira and Santa Marta (Baiona), Area de Bon, Banda do Río, Lagos, Lapamán and Portomaior (Bueu), Areabrava, Areamilla, Liméns, Menduíña and Nerga (Cangas), Aguete, Loira, Mogor, Portocelo and Santa de Mar-A Coviña (Marín), O Con (Moaña), Cabeceira (Poio), A Calzada (Ponte Caldelas), A Lapa, Agra, Areas, Areas Gordas, Baltar, Bascuas, Canelas, Caneliñas, Foxos, Major, Montalvo, Nosa Señora da Lanzada, O Espiñeiro-A Lanzada, Panadeira, Paxariñas, Pragueira and Silgar (Sanxenxo), A Punta, Argazada, Canido, Carril, Fontaiña, Fortiñón, O Vao, Rodas, Samil, Santa Baia and Tombo do Gato (Vigo), and Campanario and Compostela (Vilagarcía de Arousa).

Blue Flag Ports

But blue flags do not only fly on all these beaches, but can also be seen in other coastal areas that also meet the same criteria of excellence of its waters, accessibility, services and sustainability, as is the case of marinas and yacht clubs. A total of 11 of these facilities in our community have also been distinguished as Blue Ports: Boiro Yacht Club-Marina Cabo de Cruz (Boiro), Sada Yacht Club and Sadamar Marina (Sada), A Coruña Royal Yacht Club-Royal Marina (A Coruña), Portosín Royal Yacht Club (Porto do Son), Ribadeo Marina (Ribadeo), Monte Real Yacht Club (Baiona), Cangas Marina-Rodeira Royal Yacht Club (Cangas) and Juan Carlos I Marina, Sanxenxo Royal Yacht Club and Portonovo Yacht Club (Sanxenxo).

Blue centres

Likewise, 14 visitor centres and nature classrooms located in a dozen Galician municipalities have been distinguished as Blue Centres for pursuing objectives that coincide with the Blue Flag Programme and because they contribute to raising public awareness of the environment and sustainability: Costa de Dexo-Serantes Natural Monument Visitor Centre and CEIDA-Galicia University Extension and Environmental Dissemination Centre (Oleiros), Costa da Morte Water Mills Interpretation Centre (A Laracha), Cabo Vilán Lighthouse Visitor Centre, Man de Camelle Museum (Camariñas), Gaia Environmental Education Centre and Reina del Carmen Museum Boat (Burela), Francisco Fra Riverside Carpentry (Cervo), As Telleiras Interpretation Centre (Sanxenxo), Canning Interpretation Centre (A Illa de Arousa), and the Mogor Petroglyphs Interpretation Centre and Ateneo Santa Cecilia (Marín).

Blue trails

Galicia also has other areas certified by Adeac. These are the blue trails, an area in which this community also stands out with 29 recognised routes that account for almost half of the 474 kilometres of distinguished itineraries in the whole of Spain: Saldorio path (A Laracha), Arteixo blue trail, Camariñas coastal route, Razo-Baldaio sea path (Carballo), Costa Libre (Oleiros), Coroso-Río Azor coastal path (Ribeira), Burelés coastal route (Burela), O Torno blue trail (Cervo), Foz beaches route, Illa Pancha lighthouse route to As Aceas (Ribadeo), A Guarda coastal path, Bao-Xastelas perimeter path (A Illa de Arousa), Cabo Udra path (Bueu), Donón route (Cangas), beaches route, route of the five viewpoints and route of the mountains and beaches (Marín), coastal path of Poio, blue path of the Verdugo river (Ponte Caldelas), route of the Aldariz oak groves, coastal path Areas-Punta Festiñazo, coastal path Canelas-Punta Cabicastro, Montalvo-Major coastal path, Paxariñas-Montalvo coastal path, Sanxenxo-Portonovo coastal path and A Lanzada magic path (Sanxenxo), and path between Illas Cíes lighthouses, riverside and coastal path/Camiño á beiramar and coastal and mountain path of A Guía/Teis (Vigo).