Orihuela has once again retained its Blue Flag status for ten beaches, reinforcing its position as one of the leading coastal municipalities in the Valencia region for officially recognised beach quality.
Mayor Pepe Vegara and Coast Councillor Manuel Mestre attended the official Blue Flag awards ceremony for the Valencian Community on Monday in Chilches, Castellón. The event was organised by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education, ADEAC, and chaired by the regional minister for the Environment, Infrastructure and Territory, Vicente Martínez Mus.
Orihuela remains among the municipalities with the highest number of Blue Flags in the Valencian Community, repeating the ten awards it received last year. The distinctions recognise factors including bathing water quality, beach services, environmental management, safety, accessibility and the general condition of the beaches.
However, the awards come at a time when public satisfaction with beach cleanliness and facilities in Orihuela Costa has fallen to its lowest level in 17 years, raising questions over the gap between official certification and residents’ day-to-day experience of the coast.
The Orihuela beaches awarded Blue Flags for 2026 are Calas de Aguamarina, Barranco Rubio, Cabo Roig-La Caleta, Cala Capitán, Cala Cerrada, Cala Estaca, Campoamor-La Glea, La Zenia-Cala Bosque, Mil Palmeras and Punta Prima. The Club Náutico Dehesa de Campoamor has also retained its Blue Flag in the marina category.
During the ceremony, Vegara and Mestre collected the awards alongside regional environment secretary Sabina Goreti Galindo, who is from Orihuela. They also met regional minister Vicente Martínez Mus and thanked him personally for the recognition.
Mayor Vegara said the awards confirmed that Orihuela remains “one of the benchmark destinations on the Spanish coast,” adding that this was the result of “constant work throughout the year to look after our beaches and maintain very high quality standards.”
He said the recognition was “not a one-off” but “the consequence of a continued line of work focused on the quality of our waters, the services we provide and the maintenance of our coastline.”
Vegara also welcomed the renewed award for the Dehesa de Campoamor marina, saying it strengthened Orihuela’s coastal offer by recognising not only its beaches but also its sports harbour facilities.
“Orihuela continues to be chosen by thousands of people precisely because of that quality, the confidence it generates and the effort behind it,” he said. “That is the path we will continue to follow, with work and results.”
He added that, as mayor, he was proud that Orihuela was once again a reference point in Alicante province and across the Valencian Community.
Coast Councillor Manuel Mestre highlighted what he described as the coordinated work of municipal services to ensure beaches are safe, accessible, clean and ready for the summer season. He said the Blue Flags were also an important tourist attraction for Orihuela Costa.
The Blue Flag is an international award promoted by the Foundation for Environmental Education and coordinated in Spain by ADEAC. It is granted each year to beaches and marinas that meet criteria covering water quality, environmental management, safety, accessibility and services.
To receive the award, beaches are assessed on bathing water quality, cleanliness and maintenance, lifeguard and rescue services, access for people with reduced mobility, and the environmental information and education provided to beach users.
The renewed awards give Orihuela another year of official recognition, but the challenge for the council will be to ensure that the Blue Flag status is matched by public perception, particularly at a time when residents’ satisfaction with cleanliness and facilities has reached its lowest point in nearly two decades.
