Playa Puerta del Mar, Almuñecar |
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Blue Flag Beaches on the Costa Tropical 2014 - 2026
Below, we provide a list of the beaches on the Costa Tropical (from west to east) that have been awarded a Blue Flag each summer (mid-June to mid-September) since 2014.
In 2026 Costa Tropical made 14 applications for blue flag beaches and broke records with all 14 awarded. Playa de Poniente in Motril was awarded its blue Flag for the first time.
In 2025 and 2024 Costa Tropical boasted a record of 13 Blue Flag beaches applied for and awarded. This was one more than 2023 by gaining Cambriles beach in Gualchos for the first time. This in turn was one more beach awarded than 2022 with the return of Carchuna in Motril. Almuñecar is the key town with five Blue flag beaches. Playa Granada in Motril is the only beach that has held the award every year since 2014. It was good to see the beautiful Salobreña joining the awards with La Guardia beach in 2021.
As the Blue flag awards have grown over the years the requirements have also grown. Each town hall submits an application in the autumn of the previous year and commits to not just clean bathing water but showers, life-guards, signage and environmental awareness programmes. It has become necessary for town halls to carefully select the potential Blue Flag beaches for the necessary infrastructure investment in preparation for the Blue Flag application. The successful applications are listed below, unsuccessful applications are not published. The quiet and perhaps perhaps isolated 'virgin' beaches enjoyed by many can not, by definition, be awarded a Blue flag. Read a detailed explanation about the Blue Flag system.
| Destination | Beach | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almuñecar | La Herradura | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Marina del Este | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| San Cristobal | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Velilla | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Puerto del Mar | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Salobreña | La Guardia | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Gualchos | Sotillo - Castell | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Cambriles | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Motril | Playa Granada | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Carchuna | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Calahonda | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Del Cañon-La Pelá | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Playa de Poniente | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | |
| Torrenueva Costa | Torrenueva | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
