Alex Trelinski
CULLERA castle in Valencia province hosted a 36th anniversary celebration on Friday for Blue Flag winners in Europe.
Blue Flags acknowledge beach quality and are awarded every May by an international jury appointed by the Association of Environmental and Consumer Education(ADEAC).
Just eight Spanish municipalities have been annual winners since the first awards in 1987, and all bar one, are in the Valencian Community.
Representatives received special awards from ADEAC president, Pepe Palacios, who acknowledged the major achievement of notching up 36 consecutive successes.
The long-standing winners are Alicante(Playa de San Juan); El Campello(Playa Carrer la Mar); Calpe (La Fossa); Alfaz del Pi (Raco de l’Albir); Alcala de Xivert (El Carregador); Cullera (Sant Antoni); and Gandia (Playa Nord).
The only non-Valencian municipality represented was Oleiros in Galicia for Playa Bastiagueiro.
Alicante’s environment councillor, Manuel Villar, collected the award on behalf of his city and said: “It is a double source of pride, as an Alicante resident and councillor to receive this recognition for the care, quality and services of our beaches.”
“This honour is an incentive to continue working with the utmost care in caring for our beaches now that the start of a new high tourist season is approaching.”
Villar also congratulated the other winners for showing their ‘environmental and civic commitment’ to provide the best possible beach quality and services.
