Blue Flag 2026 on Italy's Islands: Lipari, Elba, the Tremiti and More

Italian islands with Blue Flag beaches are few, and they're often scattered across regional guides. In 2026 the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) announced its awards on 14 May in Rome: 257 municipalities were recognised, 11 more than the 246 of 2025, with 14 new entries and 3 municipalities not renewed. Among the newcomers is Lipari, in the Aeolian Islands. This guide gathers the awarded islands we were able to verify, for anyone already planning their summer 2027 trip.

Lipari: the Aeolian Islands' 2026 newcomer

Lipari (province of Messina) is one of the 14 municipalities receiving the Blue Flag for the first time in 2026, alongside Ispica in Sicily and Teulada in Sardinia, among others. According to the sources we consulted, the award covers five beaches spread over three islands of the archipelago: Canneto and Acquacalda on Lipari, Gelso and Acque Termali on Vulcano, and Ficogrande on Stromboli. That's useful to know if you're heading to the Aeolians, because here a single municipality's Blue Flag covers several islands. Before booking, check the page for each individual beach on the official bandierablu.org site, which lists services and access.

Tremiti Islands: Cala delle Arene

The 2026 list for Puglia includes the Tremiti Islands (province of Foggia), with the beach of Cala delle Arene. It's good news if you want certified clean water in the southern Adriatic without staying on the mainland Gargano coast. Since the archipelago can only be reached by sea, check ferry and hydrofoil timetables and frequency well in advance, as they change with the season.

Elba, La Maddalena and the other islands

For Elba, some news sources list Marciana Marina among the 2026 winners, while Capoliveri doesn't appear in the results we found. Before treating the Elba list as final, check it on the official FEE page. In Sardinia, La Maddalena is confirmed again in 2026, with beaches spread between the main island and Caprera. We found no confirmation for other frequently searched islands such as Giglio, Ponza, Ventotene, Pantelleria or Lampedusa, so we haven't included them among the awarded ones.

How to use this list for a 2027 holiday

The Blue Flag is awarded every year, so a beach recognised in 2026 has no guarantee for 2027. The criteria cover bathing water quality, environmental management, services, safety and information, and each year some municipalities drop off the list, as San Felice Circeo, Patù and Castrignano del Capo did in 2026. Our practical advice: use the 2026 list to choose your island and area, then check the new list published in May 2027 before confirming accommodation and ferries.