Italy maintained second place in the Mediterranean in 2006 for the number of environmentally top-notch beaches it boasts, according to a new international survey.
With 90 so-called 'blue flag' beaches, Italy is second only to Spain, which has 104, in the annual classification released by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
Behind Italy came France, with 89, Greece with 82 and Turkey with 51. FEE examines thousands of beaches all over Europe every year, demanding that strict environmental criteria be respected before its blue flags can be displayed.
The criteria focus on water quality, environmental information and education, environmental management, safety, cleanliness, provisions for waste and recycling and strict zoning of different beach activities. The Italian region with the most blue flags was Tuscany, with 14, followed by Liguria with 12.
