Meaning of flags on beaches

With the heat, the beaches fill up with people who go to have a good time, relax and swim. On the beach, in addition to the heat, you have to take into account the state of the sea, which you can check through the flag that is flying, since it will indicate whether you can swim or not. Let's review the meaning of the flags on beaches.

There are basically three flags:

  • Green flag means that bathing is allowed.
  • Yellow flag It means that you can bathe but with caution.
  • Red flag is that bathing is prohibited.

Flags on the beaches of Torrevieja

Blue flag

In addition to these three flags, there is one, the blue flag, which is an EU certification indicating that the beach It falls within the criteria to be considered a quality beach.

These criteria for obtaining the blue flag are reviewed annually at an international level by National Operators.

To obtain the blue flag, four points must be met:

1.- YoEnvironmental information and education: panels with information about the beach.

2.- Water quality: water quality samples are taken periodically to determine said quality.

3.- Environmental management: The beach must comply with environmental legislation, especially the Coastal Law. It must be clean and properly managed in terms of waste and selective collection of containers, paper, glass, etc.

The beach must have public toilets and in urban areas, at least on one of the municipality's blue flag beaches, a toilet adapted for people with disabilities.

4.- Security and servicesThe beach must have a lifeguard and first aid equipment, as well as easy, safe and accessible access for people with disabilities.

Other flags

There are beaches that even have more diversity of flags, such as:

  • Black flag  It means that the beach is closed due to poor sea conditions or serious health problems with the sand.
  • Yellow flag with a black dot It means that the use of boats and surfboards is prohibited.
  • Black and white squares flag This is a surfing area and swimming is prohibited.
  • White flag with jellyfish  It would be their presence on the beach.

We hope this tip has been useful to you in understanding the meaning of the flags on beaches.