C   a   n   a   r   y   F   o   r   u   m

Gran Canaria Blue Flag Beaches

Everyone loves going to the beach and if a beach has a Blue Flag flying it is the sign that you have arrived at one of the very best in the world. In addition to having beach weather almost every day of the year we also have some very nice beaches. Gran Canaria currently has (as announced 15 May, 2015) 13 blue flag beaches, more than any other Canary Island and additionally the marinas at Pasito Blanco and Puerto de Mogan have also been awarded the blue flag.

lascanteras

These beaches offer extensive facilities, excellent safety procedures and of course lovely clean sand and water. At the end of the page you can see all the requirments listed in order to have obtained a blue flag.

 

Our blue flag beaches are :-

Las Palmas: Las Canteras, El Confital.

San Bartolomé de Tirajana: San Agustín, Maspalomas, Meloneras, El Inglés.

Telde: Hoya del Pozo, Salinetas y Melenara.

Mogán: Amadores, Puerto de Mogán.

Arucas: El Puertillo Los Charchones

 

melonara

 

What is a Blue Flag Beach?

1) Environmental Education and Information

Information about the Blue Flag must be displayed.

Environmental education activities must be offered and promoted to beach users.

Information about bathing water quality must be displayed.

Information relating to local eco-systems and environmental phenomena must be displayed.

A map of the beach indicating different facilities must be displayed.

A code of conduct that reflects appropriate laws governing the use of the beach and surrounding areas must be displayed.  

2) Water Quality

The beach must fully comply with the water quality sampling and frequency requirements.

The beach must fully comply with the standards and requirements for water quality analysis.

No industrial, waste-water or sewage-related discharges should affect the beach area.

The beach must comply with the Blue Flag requirements for the microbiological parameter faecal coli bacteria (E.coli) and intestinal enterococci/streptococci.

The beach must comply with the Blue Flag requirements for physical and chemical parameters.

3) Environmental Management

The local authority/beach operator should establish a beach management committee.

The local authority/beach operator must comply with all regulations affecting the location and operation of the beach.

Sensitive area management.

The beach must be clean.

Algae vegetation or natural debris should be left on the beach.

Waste disposal bins/containers must be available at the beach in adequate numbers and they must be regularly maintained.

Facilities for the separation of recyclable waste materials should be available at the beach.

An adequate number of toilet or restroom facilities must be provided.

The toilet or restroom facilities must be kept clean.

The toilet or restroom facilities must have controlled sewage disposal.

There should be no unauthorised camping, driving or dumping of waste on the beach.

Access to the beach by dogs and other domestic animals must be strictly controlled.

All buildings and beach equipment must be properly maintained.

Coral reefs in the vicinity of the beach must be monitored.

A sustainable means of transportation should be promoted in the beach area. 

4) Safety and Services

An adequate number of lifeguards and/or lifesaving equipment must be available at the beach.

First aid equipment must be available on the beach. 

Emergency plans to cope with pollution risks must be in place.

There must be management of beach users and events to prevent conflicts and accidents.

There must be safety measures in place to protect beach users.

A supply of drinking water should be available at the beach. 

Wheelchair access and accessibility features must be in place for at least one Blue Flag beach in each municipality.

Latest Blogs

Two-resort holiday for Carnival Las Palmas

Gran Canaria is known as the "continent in miniatura" for its diversity with larger historic towns and cities to the north, typical local villages, forests and resevoirs spread throughout the mountains in the center and of course the well known tourist resorts and beaches to the south. In addition and although the island is only 50km long/wide there's a climate of "eternal spring" in the north thanks to the Atlantic trade winds (arguably the best climate in the world) and all-year-round summer in the south as it faces the Western Sahara little more than 200km away.

carnival

Read more ...

Circo de Soleil - Totem

The world renown Circo de Soleil will be here on Gran Canaria, performing their show "Totem" from July 5th to August 9th, 2019 in their own big top next to Maspalomas conference center in Meloneras. The venue will seat 2,500 spectators.

Read more ...

Coming Soon - Holiday Campsites !

The PIO (Insular Management Plan) of Gran Canaria has opened the door for companies to apply to create luxury campsites on the island.

camping

Read more ...

Illegal Private Holiday Lets

This week the Spanish police have arrested 10 Romanians who were responsible for conning around 300 people out of more than half a million euros in total. How? By renting holiday lets that don't exist around the Spanish islands including the Canary Islands of course.

villarentals

Read more ...

Maspalomas Music Festival - August 2017

The Urban Park of the South will host from August 11 to 13 the "Maspalomas Music Festival", a musical event with artists from the three continents, Europe, America and Africa "for all musical tastes and especially family".

Read more ...