A record number of Italian beaches now boast the prestigious Blue Flag certificate of cleanliness and safety. This year, 368 Italian beaches in 175 different municipalities were awarded the Blue Flag – 10 percent of the world’s total.

The international Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) awards the marker based on 32 different criteria, including water quality, environmental impact, access, services and “livability” at the height of the summer season, which sees thousands of visitors flock to Italy’s coastline and lakes.

This year’s ranking saw 26 new entries across the country compared to 2017, including three in Campania, the southern region that includes the Amalfi Coast as well as highly polluted areas around Naples.

Campania now has 18 Blue Flag beaches, the third highest of any Italian region. Second place goes to Tuscany with 19 Blue Flags, while Liguria – home to the Italian Riviera and its famed Cinque Terre – is way out in front with 27.

It’s not just Italy’s 7,600 kilometres of coastline that racked up the Blue Flags: 16 went to inland swimming spots on lakes, ten of them in the northern Trentino-South Tyrol region alone.

Read the full article on: https://www.thelocal.it/20180507/worlds-best-beaches-italy