Cancún leads the country in clean ‘Blue Flag’ beaches

November 24, 2022

Tourists relax on the beach in Cancún, Quintana Roo. David Vives via Unsplash

Cancún has held onto first place for the cleanest beaches in Mexico after receiving the highest number of Blue Flag awards last week.

At an event held Nov. 17 in Playa Delfines, Cancún was awarded its renewed 2022-2023 certifications for 7 beaches and 31 boats that met the 33 criteria required by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The beaches that renewed their Blue Flag certifications are Playa Del Niño, Playa Las Perlas, Playa Chac Mool, Playa Ballenas, Playa Marlín, Playa Delfines and Playa Coral. The recognition was also granted to the hotels responsible for their care and maintenance: Fiesta Americana Condesa, Hotel Live Aqua and Hotel Iberostar.

To qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of high environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility standards must be met and maintained. This achievement is a testament to the “care, attention and effort put into maintaining natural areas at the forefront with the highest quality standards,” said the mayor of Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo (the municipality where Cancún is located).

Cancún has won international recognition for maintaining a high concentration of Blue Flag beaches despite massive tourism.

“Cancún is the national Blue Flag capital, which means that its main industry, tourism, can enjoy a long and environmentally-friendly future,” FEE chief Joaquín Díaz Ríos said.

The Blue Flag certification is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators. To date, Mexico ranks 10th in the number of Blue Flag awarded sites, with 103 locations.