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

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