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Bandiera Blu
In-depth guides, lists and tips for choosing your Blue Flag beach: how the award works, which beaches are accessible and family-friendly, and region-by-region guides.
Blue Flag Beaches and Marine Protected Areas in Italy 2026: Where Award-Winning Water Meets the Reserve
Some of Italy's 2026 Blue Flag beaches sit inside or right next to a marine protected area. Here's how the two systems work together, what rules apply to anchoring, fishing and access, and how to enjoy them without risking a fine.
Read the guide News NewItaly's Beach Concessions: EU Keeps the Infringement Open, and Tenders Can Start Before 2027
Brussels has not closed the infringement procedure on Italy's beach concessions. A Council of State ruling (no. 6539/2026) says 30 September 2027 is a maximum deadline, so towns can award beaches earlier. Here is what that means for Blue Flag towns and beachgoers.
Read the guide Travel news NewItaly's 2026 Beach Season in Review: Visitor Numbers, Foreign Tourists and Where the Blue Flag Fits In
Now that the season is over, here's how Italy's 2026 beach summer looks: more foreign visitors, fewer Italians midweek, and 257 Blue Flag municipalities. What the figures say, who reported them, and how to read them when planning your next trip.
Read the guide Guides NewFree Blue Flag Beaches in Italy 2026: Enjoy the Sea Without a Beach Club
A Blue Flag doesn't mean you have to pay for a sunbed. Many award-winning towns have free public beach stretches with lifeguards, cleaning and guaranteed access. Here's a practical guide to finding them, what to expect, and what could change with the concession tenders.
Read the guide GuidesBlue Flag, Green Flag and Five Sails: What Italy's Beach Awards Really Mean
Blue Flag, Green Flag, Five Sails, Goletta Verde: Italy's seaside ratings don't all measure the same thing. Here's who awards each one, on what criteria, and how to use them to choose a beach.
Read the guide Island guidesBlue Flag 2026 on Italy's Islands: Lipari, Elba, the Tremiti and More
From the Aeolian Islands to the Tuscan Archipelago and the Tremiti, here's our guide to Italian islands with Blue Flag beaches in 2026, including new entry Lipari, ferry links and the best time to go.
Read the guide NewsBlue Flag 2026 in Europe: Spain, Greece and Turkey Lead – Where Does Italy Rank?
Spain tops the 2026 Blue Flag ranking with 794 awards, ahead of Greece (657) and Turkey (625). Italy is fourth with 525 Blue Flags, plus 87 marinas and 23 lakes. Here's how to read the European table, why the raw numbers aren't a like-for-like comparison, and where Italy is genuinely strong.
Read the guide RankingsItaly's Blue Flag Beaches 2026 by Region: Which Regions Have the Most?
Liguria comes first with 35 Blue Flags, with Puglia and Calabria tied on 27: the 2026 ranking of Italian regions by number of Blue Flag awards, plus national totals and new entries versus 2025.
Read the guide Travel tipsBlue Flag Beaches in Italy Reachable by Train: Beach Days Without a Car
Packed car parks, traffic and parking costs: many Blue Flag resorts in Italy are easy to reach by train. Here are the towns with a station close to the sea and how to plan a car-free beach day.
Read the guide NewsBlue Flag 2027 in Italy: How the Next Edition Is Prepared and What FEE Asks of Municipalities
With the 2026 season over, Italian coastal towns are already looking to Blue Flag 2027. The FEE 2025-2027 cycle calls for a sustainability action plan, excellent water quality and compliance with 32 criteria. Here is how the preparation works and what it means for beachgoers.
Read the guide Blue Flag GuidesBlue Flag Marinas in Italy 2026: Which Harbours Won, and How They Differ From Beaches
Alongside Italy's Blue Flag beaches, the 2026 programme also rewards tourist marinas. Here is how they differ from beaches and why Liguria comes out on top.
Read the guide Beach SafetyBeach Safety Rules in Italy 2026: What Blue Flag Beaches Must Guarantee
Every summer the Coast Guard publishes the beach safety ordinance, the rulebook covering shoreline access, beach establishment opening hours, prohibitions and lifeguard services. For 2026, the headline changes are a smoking ban within 5 metres of the shoreline and a requirement for every coastal municipality to designate at least one free beach where dogs are allowed. This guide explains what beach operators and municipalities must guarantee, what is mandatory and what is only recommended, and how to check it on the spot with a Blue Flag in view.
Read the guide Beach safetyMinor lifeguards in 2026: what changes for Blue Flag beaches in Italy
Since 2017, lifeguard assistants in Italy must be adults, but the exemption for minors has been postponed several times. Here is what the rule says today, what the 1 October deadline means, and why lifeguard cover matters for Blue Flag.
Read the guide NewsNational standard tender for Italy's beach concessions: the Ministry's draft, terms up to 20 years, and what changes for Blue Flag beaches
On September 30, 2026, Italy's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport sent the "Unified Conference" a draft of the national standard tender for awarding beach concessions (concessioni balneari): terms ranging from 5 to 20 years, awards based on the most economically advantageous bid, payouts to outgoing operators calculated on un-amortized investments, and caps on how many lots a single bidder can hold. Here's what the draft actually says and what it means for Italy's coastal municipalities — including the dozens of towns holding the Blue Flag (Bandiera Blu) award that will need to run these tenders by June 30, 2027.
Read the guide NewsItaly's 2026 Bathing Water Report: How It Stacks Up Against the Blue Flag Map
Italy's National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA) has released its official 2026 bathing water quality data: 94.9% of the 6,242 km of coastline it monitors falls into the "excellent" category. Puglia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Basilicata and Sardinia top the rankings, while Sicily sees more stretches of coast placed off-limits. Here's how this official data lines up against the 2026 Blue Flag beach map — and what it actually tells you about the health of Italy's seas.
Read the guide NewsMare Monstrum 2026: 57,000 Coastal Crimes in Italy — So What About the Blue Flags?
Legambiente has just released the latest edition of Mare Monstrum: in 2025, Italy's coastline saw 20,490 confirmed crimes and 36,322 administrative offences, nearly 57,000 violations in total. Campania, Puglia, Sicily and Calabria top the list, but the real surprise is Liguria — the region with the most Blue Flag beaches in Italy — climbing to fifth place with 1,581 crimes (+9%). A crime report and a beach award tell two different stories: here's what they actually measure, and how to read them together before picking your next stretch of coast.
Read the guide NewsGoletta Verde 2026: One in Three Samples Polluted. So What About the Blue Flags?
Legambiente wrapped up its 2026 Goletta Verde campaign with a sobering result: of 391 samples taken along Italy's coasts and lakes, one in three exceeded legal pollution limits — unchanged from last year. The finding seems to clash with Italy's record-breaking Blue Flag count, but the two monitoring efforts measure different things. We explain why, where the pollution hotspots actually are (river and canal mouths, not official bathing waters), and how to read both datasets before picking a beach.
Read the guide Bandiera BluBlue Flag Beach, Swimming Banned: What the Award Really Means
In {{Taggia}}, on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, the 2026 Blue Flag arrived alongside two swimming bans triggered by intestinal enterococci exceeding legal limits, capped off by a heated town council session at the end of the season. The case is a useful lens on what the FEE flag really certifies, what it doesn't, and which official bulletins to check before swimming — even at award-winning beaches.
Read the guide EnvironmentCoastal Erosion: The Blue Flag Beaches at Risk of Disappearing
A Blue Flag certifies water quality, not coastline durability: Legambiente's "Sunken Landscapes" report and ISPRA data — over 50 million square metres of beach lost in 50 years, storm-surge damage up 550% between 2022 and 2026 — show that erosion and extreme weather are hitting award-winning coastlines hard too, especially in Sicily, Puglia and Calabria. Here's a guide to where the problem is most acute and what to expect when you actually get to the beach.
Read the guide NewsItaly's 14 New Blue Flag Beaches for 2026: Who Debuts and Who Drops Out
Italy now has 257 Blue Flag municipalities in 2026: 14 new entries and 3 exits compared with 2025. Here is who debuts, where the new beaches are and why some towns lose their flag.
Read the guide GuidesBlue Flag Beaches in Italy in September: What's Still Open and Where to Go
With the 2026 season winding down and operators pushing to extend it to 30 September, here's what actually stays open on Italy's Blue Flag beaches: lifeguards, services, swimming rules and the regions where late-summer days are still at their best.
Read the guide Beach newsItaly's Beach Concession Tenders: What Changes for Beachgoers (and Blue Flag Beaches)
As the 2026 season winds down, Italy's old beach concessions are nearing expiry and municipalities are preparing tenders based on a national model. Here is what may change for beachgoers: prices, accessibility, free beaches and quality criteria that overlap with the Blue Flag.
Read the guide NewsToxic Algae Ostreopsis Ovata 2026: Where Italy Has Banned Swimming (Even Near Blue Flag Beaches)
Red flags and temporary swimming bans have hit coastlines across Italy in recent weeks, including stretches close to Blue Flag beaches. Here's what the toxic algae Ostreopsis ovata is, what symptoms it causes, where it's been reported, and what to do if you're on holiday in one of the affected areas.
Read the guide NewsBlue Flag Goes Biennial From 2026: What It Means for Italy's Beaches
For the first time, FEE has introduced two-year validity for the Blue Flag award, bringing Italy into line with how the rest of Europe runs the programme. It's a shift that changes how coastal municipalities win and keep the flag: here's what it means in practice, which checks still apply in the "in-between" year, and what happens if a beach falls short of the criteria before the award expires.
Read the guide Rules & SafetyBeach bans in Italy summer 2026: what you risk (fines up to €3,000) on the Blue Flag coast
From Sardinia to Emilia-Romagna, summer 2026 brings tougher rules on Italian beaches: fines up to €3,000 for taking sand and shells home, a night-swimming ban in {{Rimini}} and {{Riccione}}, penalties for burying cigarette butts in the sand. A practical guide to the bans worth knowing before you head to the beach, with a look at what changes — or doesn't — in towns awarded the Blue Flag, where environmental protection is already part of the scoring criteria.
Read the guide GuideBlue Flag Lakes in Italy 2026: Where to Swim in Fresh Water
From Lake Garda to Lake Orta, from the Valsugana to Lake Scanno: the guide to Italy's freshwater beaches awarded the Blue Flag in 2026.
Read the guide GuideBlue Flag Beaches for Families: The Best Beaches With Kids
Shallow, safe water and lifeguard cover: what to look for in a Blue Flag beach for a relaxed family holiday.
Read the guide GuideAccessible Blue Flag Beaches for People With Disabilities
Accessibility is a Blue Flag criterion: walkways, JOB wheelchairs, dedicated services. How to recognise a genuinely accessible beach.
Read the guide In-depthBlue Flag Criteria: How Beaches Get Awarded
Who awards the Blue Flag, what the 32 criteria are, and why bathing water quality is the toughest requirement.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Molise 2026: Termoli and Campomarino, Award-Winning Sea Between the Adriatic and the Tremiti Islands
Molise keeps both of its Blue Flags: Termoli, awarded for the fourth year running, and Campomarino, now on its 14th. Here is a guide to the beaches, facilities, access and old town, to help you plan a holiday on one of Italy's quietest stretches of Adriatic coast.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Friuli Venezia Giulia 2026: Lignano and Grado, Where Lagoon Meets Pine Forest
Just two Blue Flags, but two entirely different coastlines: Lignano Sabbiadoro holds onto its record of 37 consecutive awards, while Grado stays suspended between pine forests and Italy's northernmost lagoon. The complete guide to Friuli Venezia Giulia's award-winning beaches for 2026, covering marinas, facilities and lesser-known details about the coast.
Read the guideBlue Flag 2026 in Piedmont: Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta Take the Honors
No coastline, but award-winning water all the same: Piedmont lands 4 Blue Flags across Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta. Here's where they are and what they offer.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Lombardy 2026: Lake Garda Honored, Limone Joins the List
For 2026, Lombardy confirms its Blue Flag beaches on Lake Garda and welcomes a historic newcomer, Limone sul Garda. Here's which beaches made the list and why they're worth a visit.
Read the guideBasilicata's Blue Flag Beaches 2026: From Maratea to Metaponto
Basilicata is the only Italian region with coastline on two different seas, and its 5 Blue Flags for 2026 reflect exactly that double identity: the coves and sea stacks of Maratea on the Tyrrhenian side, and the sandy beaches and pine groves of Bernalda, Nova Siri and Pisticci on the Ionian side. Here's where to go, what to expect, and how to plan your visit.
Read the guideVeneto's Blue Flag Beaches 2026: From Bibione to the Po Delta
Nine Blue Flags, two provinces, one coastline running from the buzz of Jesolo to the quiet wetlands of the Po Delta: here's the complete guide to Veneto's 2026 Blue Flag beaches.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Trentino-Alto Adige 2026: The Award-Winning Lakes of the Dolomites
No sea coastline here, yet Trentino-Alto Adige boasts 12 Blue Flags, every one of them on a lake in Trento province. From Levico to Caldonazzo, from Lavarone to Tenno, this is the full 2026 guide to the region's award-winning lake beaches, with swimmable waters, cycle paths and family-ready facilities.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Emilia-Romagna 2026: The Riviera Shines as Rimini Returns After 15 Years
In 2026, Emilia-Romagna climbs to 11 Blue Flag beaches thanks to the return of Rimini, absent from the list since 2011 — a milestone capping years of investment in water treatment. Here's the full guide to the award-winning towns of the Romagna Riviera, from the Po Delta to Cattolica.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches Near Rome: Lazio's Award-Winning Sea 2026
From Anzio to Sperlonga and Gaeta: where to find certified clean sea within day-trip distance of Rome, with a freshwater alternative on Lake Bracciano.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Calabria 2026: Award-Winning Sea & Where to Go
From the northern Tyrrhenian coast to the Coast of the Gods and the Ionian Sea: the guide to Calabria's Blue Flag beaches in 2026.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Sardinia 2026
From Gallura to Ogliastra: the guide to Sardinia's Blue Flag beaches in 2026, province by province.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Tuscany 2026
From Versilia to the Maremma and the island of Elba: the guide to Tuscany's Blue Flag beaches in 2026, province by province.
Read the guideBlue Flag Beaches in Puglia, Italy 2026
From the Gargano to Salento and the Tremiti Islands: the guide to Puglia's Blue Flag beaches in 2026, province by province.
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