Greece awarded with blue flag beaches

Greece is once again in the news, but this time to celebrate the quality of Hellenic beaches and clear waters. The International Blue Flag awards have ranked Greek beaches and marinas as second in the world. .

The coveted Blue Flags have been awarded to 394 Greek beaches and nine marinas, an increase of seven flags since 2011. Blue Flags are awarded by an International Committee and denote world-class prestige.

Island News reports that the Blue Flag "works towards sustainable development of beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with Water Quality, Environmental Education and Information, Environmental Management, and Safety and Other Services."

Ta Nea also reports that the European Environment Agency shows Greece has the clearest water for swimming of the Mediterranean countries.

Beaches in Corfu and Chalkidiki swooped the most Blue Flags with 35 each. A full list of Greece's Blue Flag can be found here.