Crystal clear waters in Nerja |
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Blue Flag Beaches on the Costa del Sol 2014-2026
Find below a list of the beaches of Costa del Sol (west to east) that have been awarded a Blue Flag for the summer season (mid June to mid September) in each of the thirteen years. Read a detailed explanation about the Blue Flag system.
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 programs. 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 isolated 'virgin' beaches enjoyed by many can not, by definition, be awarded a Blue flag.
The Costa del Sol towns were awarded 45 Blue Flag Beaches in 2026 equal to the previous year. This was from a record 52 applications. Puerto Banus Levante beach lost its blue flag in 2026 and Fuengirola Castilla beach regained its flag. Estepona continues its boycott of the Blue flag system.
In 2025 the Costa del Sol was awarded a record 45 Blue Flag beaches being four more than 2025 from 49 applications. Malaga city retains the seven Blue flag beaches gained in 2021.
In 2024 the Costa del Sol was awarded a record 41 Blue Flag beaches. This was two more than 2023 ( gaining El Bajondillo and Playamar in Torremolinos) which was three more than 2022 (gaining Nagüeles, Fontanilla, Chaparal, Playazo-Chucho and losing Ardales) which was two more than 2021 (gaining Maro and Sabinillas). Malaga city retains the seven Blue flag beaches gained in 2021.
In 2023 Marbella reached nine again, returning to its 2014 numbers. Notable absences are still Rincon de La Victoria and Estepona. Estpona was awarded four in 2018 but only two in 2019 and 2020 not including the emblematic La Rada. In 2020 Estepona returned both awards, presumably (town hall has never stated why) unhappy with the award system and made no applications since. Congratulations to Nerja for Maro beach being added to the list for the first time in 2022 and Playazo-Chucho in 2023.
Destinations are listed along the Costa del Sol from West to East.
| Destinations | Beaches | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manilva | El Castillo | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Sabinillas | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Las Gaviotas | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | |
| Casares | Playa Ancha | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Estepona | Arroyo Vaquero | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y/N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| El Cristo | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y/N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| La Rada | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| El Padrón | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| El Saladillo | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Marbella | Guadalmina/San Pedro | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Puerto Banús (Nueva Andalucia) | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Puerto Banús (Levante) | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | |
| Río Verde | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Casablanca | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Nagüeles | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Fontanilla | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Faro | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Venus | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Bajadilla | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | inc | inc | inc | inc | Y | Y | |
| El Cable | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Pinillo | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | |
| Adelfas - Alicate | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | |
| Artola (Cabopino) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Mijas | Calahonda | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | YY |
| El Bombo | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Cala | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Chaparal | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Fuengirola | Castillo | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y |
| Fuengirola | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Los Boliches - Gaviotas | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Carvajal | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Benalmádena | Malapesquera - Santa Ana | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Torrebermeja - Santa Ana | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | |
| Torrevigia | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Fuente de la Salud | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Carvajal | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | |
| Torremolinos | Los Alamos | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| El Bajondillo | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Cariguela - Montemar | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | |
| Playamar | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Malaga | Misericoria | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| San Andres | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Malagueta | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Caleta | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Pedregalejo | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| El Palo | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| El Dedo | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Rincon de la Victoria | Cala del Moral | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Río Seco | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Torre del Benalgalbón | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Vélez-Malaga | Benajarafe | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Torre del Mar | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| La Caleta Paso | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Algarrobo | Algarrobo Costa | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y; | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Torrox | Ferrara | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| El Morche | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
|
Cenicero - Las Dunas |
N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | |
| Nerja | Playazo-Chucho | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Torrecilla | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Burriana | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Maro | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Ardales | Playa Ardales (Reservior) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
