S'Amarador, one of 21 beaches in Mallorca with a Blue Flag in 2021. | Patricia Lozano

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There will be 44 Blue Flags in the Balearics this summer - 31 for beaches and 13 for marinas. Twenty-one of the beaches are in Mallorca; there are three in Minorca and seven in Ibiza. In 2021, there were 38 Blue Flags for beaches in the Balearics.

The beaches in Mallorca are: Cala Ferrera, Cala Marçal, Cala Sa Nau, Portocolom (Platja s'Arenal) in Felanitx; Cala Estància, Cala Major and El Arenal de Playa de Palma (in Palma); Cala Millor (Cala Nau) and Sa Coma in Sant Llorenç; Can Picafort, Son Bauló and Son Serra de Marina in Santa Margalida; Cala Gran, Cala Llombards, Cala Mondragó (Sa Font Alis), Cala Santanyi and S'Amarador in Santanyi; Dolç (Es Port) in Ses Salines; Cala Millor and Es Ribell in Son Servera; and Playa de Muro.

In Minorca, the beaches are Cala en Porter and Son Bou in Alaior and Cala Galdana (Ferreries). In Ibiza, they are Benirrás and Cala Sant Vicent in Sant Joan de Labritja; Cala Llenya, Cala Llonga, Es Canar, Es Figueral and Santa Eulària in Santa Eulària des Riu.

There are ten marinas in Mallorca - Alcudiamar; S'Arenal; Club de Vela Port d'Andratx; Marina Palma Cuarentena, Marina Port and the Real Club Náutico in Palma; Port Colonia Sant Jordi; Port de Cala Bona; Port de Cala Figuera (Santanyi); and Port de Cala Ratjada.

In Minorca, Port de Fornells (Es Mercadal); in Ibiza, Sant Antoni de Portmany and Marina Ibiza.

The 44 in the Balearics are out of 713 in Spain; Valencia will have the most. With an additional 25 beaches and two ports this summer, Spain maintains its international leadership in terms of the number of Blue Flags, followed by France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Portugal.

A total of 249 coastal municipalities in Spain have participated this year - five more than in 2019. Fifteen beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag for the first time, while 34 beaches have recovered it from last year. José Palacios Aguilar, the president of Association of Environmental and Consumer Education which supervises the Blue Flags in Spain, says that these results are "satisfactory and encouraging" and show the great job done by various authorities.

Valencia has 153 Blue Flags - 137 for beaches and sixteen for ports. Andalusia has 137 and Galicia 122. In terms of thematic distinctions, that for rescue services goes to two municipalities - Chiclana de la Frontera in Cadiz and Muro in Mallorca.

* While the "loss" of Blue Flags in the Balearics may owe something to not meeting standards, it is the case that various town halls opt for other certification systems and don't apply for a Blue Flag. Covid may also have been a factor in terms both of the administration and the services provided on beaches.