Canaries beaches among those named as Spain’s worst ‘black flag’ spots – see the rest of the list

Ecologists in Action

Holidaymakers heading for the Canary Islands have been warned to expect sewage spills, marine litter and intrusive urban developments in ‘black flag’ areas by a Spanish environmental group.

Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action) released their annual rankings of beaches in the most serious environmental conditions on Wednesday (12 June).

After the inspection of 8,000km (4,970 miles) of the Spanish coastline, 48 black flag status beaches – two flags per province or city – were listed in the Banderas Negras (Black Flags) 2024 report.

This year, more than 15 black flags were handed out due to chemical spills, 15 for coastal development and six due to chemical, light and noise pollution.

Purification problems, the accumulation of marine litter, port urbanisation and the dumping of plastic pellets were among the other environmental issues.

The group blasted the Canary Island authorities for allowing the islands to accumulate an ecological footprint equivalent to a territory 27 times its size in the 167-page report.

Ecologists in Action said: “Without a doubt, one of the biggest problems we face is the touristification and urbanization of our coastline.

“A problem that especially affects the Canary Islands, whose population is organizing, under the cry of “The Canary Islands have a limit”, to reject the numerous attacks and threats that endanger the conservation of these islands and the future of future generations.”

Beachfront hotels in Fuerteventura, Tenerife, El Hierro and La Palma were singled out in the report for failing to “comply with environmental laws” and “ensure the restoration of the ecosystem”.

The popular white sands of Playa Blanca beach in Lanzarote also received black flag status for a sewage spill which led to the beach’s temporary closure in May.

Holiday hotspots including sandy stretches in Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante and the Balearics were found to have some of the worst beaches in Spain for substandard sustainability efforts.

The environmental group said private boats anchoring illegally at Talamanca Beach in Ibiza were proving catastrophic to marine life. It also noted that El Amerador Beach, north of Alicante, had seen two recent incidents of fecal pollution entering the sea, and the San Juan festival was named and shamed for littering the Malaga coastline with plastic containers each year.

The 48 ‘black flag’ listed beaches:

1. La Farella, Girona, Catalonia
2. Various beaches on the Costa Brava, Girona, Catalonia
3. Comarca del Maresme, Barcelona, Catalonia
4. Sant Adrià del Besò, Barcelona, Catalonia
5. Camino de Ronda, Tarragona, Catalonia
6. Playa de la Pineda, Costa Dorada, Tarragona, Catalonia
7. Playa de L’Estany-Capicorb, Castellon, Valencia region
8. Playa de Burriana, Castellon, Valencia region
9. Beaches at the Parque Natural de l’Albufera, Valencia, Valencia region
10. Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Valencia region
11. Barranco y playa del Amerador, Alacant, Valencia region
12. Playas de Cap l’horta, Albufera, Postiguet and San Gabriel, Alacant, Valencia region
13. Mar Menor, Murcia region
14. Portman Bay and Sierra Minera, Murcia region
15. Playa Quitapellejos-Palomares, Almeria, Andalucia
16. Playa de ‘El Lancón’ en Carboneras, Almeria, Andalucia
17. Playa de Castell de Ferro, Granada, Andalucia
18. Playa Granada y Poniente, Granada, Andalucia
19. Playas de Malaga, Malaga, Andalucia
20. Coast of Malaga, Malaga, Andalucia
21. Tarifa, Cadiz, Andalucia
22. Costa de Trafalgar, Cadiz, Andalucia
23. Huelva river, Huelva, Andalucia
24. El Portil, Huelva, Andalucia
25. Aldán river, Concello de Cangas, Pontevedra, Galicia
26. Arousa river and Pontevedra river, Pontevedra, Galicia
27. Minera de Galicia, A Coruna, Galicia
28. Pereiro river and Ramisqueira river, A Coruna, Galicia
29. Alcoa pond, Lugo, Galicia
30. Galician coast, Lugo, Galicia
31. Port of Figueres, Asturies
32. Villaviciosa, Asturies
33. Playa de Usgo, Cantabria
34. San Román de la Llanilla, Cantabria
35. Lamiako marsh area, Bizkaia, Basque Country
36. Gernika and Murueta, Bizkaia, Basque Country
37. Santa Clara Island, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
38. La Concha Island, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
39. Cala Xarraca, Ibiza, Balearic Islands
40. Playa de Talamanca, Ibiza, Balearic Islands
41. Port of Melilla, Melilla
42. Melilla Bay, Melilla
43. Monte Hacho, Ceuta
44. Playa de Desnarigado, Ceuta
45. Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
46. Corralejo Dunes, Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
47. La Tejita Beach (Granadilla), Puertito de Armeñime (Adeje), Tenerife, Canary Islands
48. Northwest coastline of Tenerife, Canary Islands