There are practically countless of locations in Italy where one can enjoy a beautiful swim in clean water, from isolated coves to places full of activities, but the FEE's criteria are more complex.
The Blue Flag certification identifies those places that fulfill certain criteria in terms of the quality of the area and the associated services. The idea is to highlight places where swimming can be enjoyable, safe and with respect to the environment.
Some of the more important of these criteria are:
1. The quality of the water must be within EU limits.
2. There should be no outlet of sewage water in the proximity.
3. The beach itself needs to be clean, with adequate services for swimmers to dispose of trash.
4. An appropriate number of personnel should be on hand to ensure the safety of the swimmers and such personnel should be equipped with appropriate tools to carry out their work
5. There should be at least one place where to get drinking water on the beach
5. Provisions should be made for disabled access to the beach.
This leaves out many woderful isolated beaches, with no service available, but where both the quality of the water and the sand are incredible.
For a full list of this year Blue Flag beaches visit the Blue Flag Organisation website.
