Cartagena is the main winner this year, receiving new Blue Flags for Calblanque and Cala del Barco, which lost its Blue Flag back in 2012.
In contrast, Águilas loses two – La Carolina and La Higuerica, both located in the protected Cuatro Calas area. The town hall there has put it down to circumstances totally out of their control, namely the delay in the removal of the chiringuitos on both beaches, which did not conform to compliance rules.
San Javier gains a Blue Flag for El Arenal in La Manga, while Mazarrón regains recognition for the Playa de Nares beach, which had lost its status the previous year.
In total, then, the Region gains four beach awards and loses two, while also adding one new marina award for the Club Náutico Villa de San Pedro del Pinatar. With these additions, Murcia strengthens its position as the second uniprovincial region in Spain with the most Blue Flags.
However, the Mar Menor again fails to secure any Blue Flags, its ninth consecutive year without recognition, largely because of the long-running environmental problems suffered by the lagoon.
One of the key developments this year is that, for the first time, all coastal regional parks in Murcia now include at least one Blue Flag beach. A new award in the Regional Park of Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila contributes to this milestone. Together with Cala del Barco, these bring Cartagena’s total to 10 Blue Flags, making it the leading municipality in the region.
La Azohía-El Cuartel, which lost its Blue Flag in 2024, has not regained it. However, Cala Cortina, El Portús, Isla Plana, Levante-Cabo de Palos, La Chapineta and San Ginés retain theirs. La Chapineta and San Ginés, both in La Azohía, remain recognised. Cartagena also holds two marina awards: the Real Club de Regatas de Cartagena and the Yacht Port Cartagena.
With 10 Blue Flags, Cartagena overtakes Águilas, which now has nine: seven for the beaches of Calarreona, La Casica Verde, La Colonia, Las Delicias, Levante, Matalentisco and Poniente, and two for the Club Náutico de Águilas and the Juan Montiel port.
Mazarrón follows with seven Blue Flags: six for the beaches of Bahía, Rihuete, Playa Grande-Castellar, El Mojón, El Alamillo and Nares (regained this year), and one for the Club de Regatas de Mazarrón marina.
San Pedro del Pinatar holds five Blue Flags: three for beaches (El Mojón, La Torre Derribada and Las Salinas) and two for marinas. Marina Salinas retains its flag, and the Club Náutico Villa de San Pedro has been newly awarded.
San Javier now has three Blue Flags, with a new one for El Arenal beach joining existing ones at La Ensenada del Esparto and El Pedrucho. The joint Blue Flag held by Cartagena and San Javier for Banco del Tabal-Calnegre beach in La Manga, along with the one for the Playa del Calnegre beach in Lorca, has also been maintained.
Juan Francisco Martínez, director of the Region of Murcia’s Institute of Tourism (ITREM), said this achievement represents “an important boost to sustainable tourism in the Region”, noting that the regional park is the highest level of environmental protection in the Community.
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The Region of Murcia will have 36 Blue Flags in summer 2025 – three more than in 2024, including 29 for beaches and seven for marinas. According to the annual report released this Wednesday May 7 by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac), two of these new awards are for sandy beaches.
