What is a blue flag beach?
Blue Flag beaches are evaluated by the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in fifty countries. According to FEE, “to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.” Thus, a Blue Flag qualification indicates that these areas meet standards of facility quality and cleanliness, as well as certain environmental conditions. We are pleased to note that Türkiye, with 531 Blue Flag beaches, is second only to Spain and Greece in terms of Blue Flag-awarded beaches.
Criteria for Blue Flag status
Blue Flag evaluations for beaches and marinas cover a number of criteria, including ecosystem and water values, accessibility to the beach, available facilities, cleanliness and safety.
Top ranking in Türkiye: Antalya’s Blue Flag beaches
Almost half of Türkiye’s Blue Flag beaches are in the Antalya province, with 229 beaches. In the city of Antalya, the following public beaches, all administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, were granted Blue Flag status for the first time this year: Lara 1 and Lara 2, Manavgat, Beldibi and Çamyuva. In the Kaş district, the iconic Kalkan, Kaputaş and Patara beaches continue to carry the Blue Flag label, as do Cleopatra Beach in Alanya and many other beaches in the province.
Pearly: Izmir’s Blue Flag beaches
After Antalya and Muğla, İzmir has the most Blue Flag beaches in Türkiye. Between the city center and the surrounding provinces, there are 66 Blue Flag beaches. The Urla Sand Sea public beach was the city’s first Blue Flag beach, while the Karaburun Aquarium Beach, Çeşme’s renowned Ilica public beach and the Dikili municipal beach are among the most popular.
A lovely lakeshore: Mollakasim, Van’s Blue Flag beach
The landlocked Van province has no sea or ocean access, but it does have a remarkable – and large – lake. About a sixty-minute drive from the city center of Van is the Mollakasım public beach, on the border of the Mollakasım neighborhood in the Tuşba district. This delightful lakefront Blue Flag beach is popular among local residents as well as tourists.
Summer in the city: Istanbul’s Blue Flag beaches
The Istanbul province includes the mega-metropolis of Istanbul, as well as various districts such as Şile, which is on the Black Sea. Istanbul’s two Blue Flag beaches are both in Şile. The Ala Kadınlar beach, which serves only women, draws visitors from the city of Istanbul and its surrounding districts.
A phenomenon: Muğla’s blue flag beaches
The Muğla province, Türkiye’s holiday paradise, has the next highest number of Blue Flag sites, with 111 beaches and eight marinas. Let’s start in Bodrum, where the Blue Flag beaches include Bitez Özgür, Gümbet , Gölköy, Göltürkbükü, Kumbahçe, Ortakent and Yalıçiftlik. In Datça, the Karaincir and Hastanealtı beaches are outstanding, as are Fethiye’s Kumburnu, Belceğiz and Büyük Haylık beaches. Ula and Marmaris each have beautiful public beaches, namely Akyaka İçmeler, respectively.
Black Sea expansiveness: Blue Flag beaches in Ordu, Bartın and Samsun
Karadeniz – the Black Sea region – is known for its incredible nature but has recently gained acclaim for its surfing facilities and lovely beaches. Among these are Inkum, the Blue-Flag beach in Bartın; and the Ordu public beach, in the Cumhuriyet neighborhood. In Samsun, the Omtel, Körfez, Güzelyalı and İnci beaches are popular with visitors, as well as Samsun residents.
Following the breeze: Blue Flag beaches in Çanakkale and Balıkesir
In the Marmara province, the Balıkesir district offers a number of beaches, including Duba Beach in Ayvalık, the famous Sarımsaklı Beach, and the Kapri and Kumadası beaches. In addition, Burhaniye has the Ören public beach, and Edremit the Akçay Sarıkız public beach. in Edremit. offers a total of 31 Blue Flag beaches, and Çanakkale, which are the most popular cities of the Marmara Region,
In Çanakkale, the Geyikli Municipality public beach in Ezine is quite popular. There’s also the Hamzakoy public beach in Gelibolu, along with five other beaches in the city center affiliated with the municipality. And we must mention the Blue Flag beaches of Kocaeli, which is not far from İstanbul.
With 531 beautiful Blue Flag beaches in Türkiye, it is impossible to describe them all – but for more information, you can see the full list of blue flag beaches in Türkiye here.
