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The International Environmental Symbol of the “Blue Flag” was awarded for one more year to 11 beaches of the Municipality of Chania. The strict criteria required in order a beach to be awarded with the “Blue Flag” are the purity of the water and the safety of the swimmers. The 11 beaches of the Municipality of Chania which were awarded this year as well, with the “Blue Flag” are in alphabetical order:

 

1. Agia Marina
2. Agioi Apostoloi 1
3. Agioi Apostoloi 2
4. Agios Onoufrios
5. Kalathas
6. Kalamaki
7. Marathi
8. Nea Chora
9. Stalos
10. Stauros
11. Xrysi Akti

 

According to the number of the “Blue Flags”, the Municipality of Chania won the 6^th position between all the Municipalities of the country, under the following classification:

 

1. Kerkyra: 35 Blue Flags
2. Agios Nikolaos, Crete: 23 Blue Flags
3. Rhodes: 20 blue Flags
4. Aristotelis Chalkidiki: 14 Blue Flags
5. Sithonia: 12 Blue Flags
6. Chania: 11 Blue Flags

 

The Municipality of Chania the last three years, recognizing the importance of the quality award “Blue Flag” for the development of tourism, has advanced a series of important interventions for the upgrade of beaches, with the ultimate goal of the number increase of the awarded beaches within the geographical limits of the Municipality. Indicative of the efforts of the Municipality of Chania for the success of the above, is the statement of the General Secretary of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature –who is the project manager of the “Blue Flags” in Greece- Leonidas Kollas, who praised the efforts of the Municipality of Chania pointing that: “The Municipality of Chania is one of the few Municipalities throughout the country that have sufficient life guarding equipment regarding the total number of their beaches. Furthermore, the Municipality of Chania, apart from the required quality level of the water, stands out for also meeting other requirements that characterize awarded with the “Blue Flag” beaches.

 

The Project “Blue Flag”

 

The project “Blue Flag” is established as a quality symbol for over 41 countries today and the number increases continuously, but on the other hand is an award which requires high standard criteria regarding organized beaches. At the same time, these high standard criteria become stricter and higher as the time passes, in order to improve the environmental conditions for the visitors. The “Blue Flag” is awarded since 1987 and in order a beach to meet the requirements; it is not enough to just have high quality swimming water. There are other 32 criteria regarding: cleanliness, organization, information provided, safety of the swimmers and visitors, protection of the natural resources of the beach and the surrounding area and environmental awareness. Founder and International Project Coordinator is the Foundation for the Environmental Education (FEE) which is established in Denmark. In Greece, it is represented by the Hellenic Company for the Protection of Nature- the oldest environmental organization of the country (1951), which is the administrator of the Project “Blue Flags” since 1992.