Awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the Blue Flag is one of the world’s most prestigious recognitions for coastal locations that meet a series of criteria relating to sustainable land management.
The Blue Flag is synonymous with clean coasts and transparent waters. Earning the eco-label means offering a very high level of quality standards, as well as meeting and maintaining strict environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria.

From the Gargano to Salento, from the Ionian beaches to the Bari coastline, many towns in Puglia have once again been awarded the Blue Flag this year for the beauty of their coasts, the cleanliness of their waters, and the wide range of services offered to bathers.
Paradise is within reach in Puglia, with its crystal-clear sea, golden beaches, wild cliffs, and dunes covered with Mediterranean scrub. That’s why these beaches are known as the Maldives or Caribbean of Italy.
With its 800 kilometers of coastline bathed by the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, Puglia climbs the national ranking of regions with the highest number of FEE recognitions.
In 2022, Puglia boasts 18 municipalities and 63 awarded beaches, ranking second nationally along with Tuscany and Campania, behind Liguria. Among the new entries are three Puglian locations: Castro, Ugento, and Rodi Garganico.

The tourist port of Castro has received the prestigious Blue Flag and offers a coast rich in nature and services for tourists. The ancient fishing village, despite its cliffs, has numerous and easy sea access points from which one can relax and explore its wonderful caves.
The black and white stones of the Tower of San Giovanni, the oldest stone sentinel of Salento, mark the splendid coast of Ugento. The coastline is rugged and rocky to the north, in Mare Verde, and becomes sandy and gentler to the south, towards Fontanelle.
Rodi Garganico, with its modern tourist port, is one of the safest harbors on the Adriatic, with over three hundred berths. There are also direct connections with Croatia from Peschici, Vieste, and the Tremiti Islands. West of the town is Ponente Beach, a stretch of sandy dunes exposed to northern winds, a paradise for surfers. Eastward is the golden strip of Levante Beach.

Italy’s "boot" is dotted with Blue Flag cities from north to south: don’t miss Polignano, known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic," ideal for diving into pristine waters and exploring a picturesque seaside old town; and Monopoli, one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic coast, with charming beaches and a historic center full of art and history.

The Blue Flag began as an environmental awareness initiative: some French students were asked to write a message with their name, place it in a plastic bottle, and release it into the sea. It was soon proven that those bottles would not return to the same beach they were launched from.
The goal was to highlight the seriousness of ocean littering and its impact, not only locally but also on communities many kilometers away. The project was presented to the European Commission in 1987, the European Year for the Environment.