The coastal region of Manacor, on Mallorca’s east coast, has been awarded an unpresidented 9 Blue Flags for the quality of its beaches at: S´Illot; Cala Antena (close to Mirador Ses Cales & Mar Ses Cales); Cala Anguila; Cala Murada (close to Pinars de Murada); Cala Mandia; s´Estany den Mas;  Cala es Domingos Petit & Domingos Gran (close to Valls de Cala Domingos) and the beach at Porto Cristo.  Manacor was pipped at the post to the top spot by Sanxenxo (Pontevedra, in Galicia, Northen Spain), which was awarded 13.

“I´m very happy because Manacor has shown a very high level when meeting the criteria for the Blue Flags, which considers aspects such as search and rescue services; health care; visitor information; sustainability; cleanliness and accessibility to name but a few,” explained Jose Palacios, Vice President  of the Association for Environmental & Consumer Awareness (the organisation which began the Blue Flag Award programme).

Being awarded a Blue Flag represents a beach or marina with the highest possible quality and standards, and is internationally recognised by governments, tour operators, local residents and tourists as the mark of true quality.

“For years we have been working hard to improve the surroundings and the attractiveness of our coastline, and we should be proud of this recognition,” states Joan Gomila, Tourism Adviser and president of Porto Cristo District Board.  “We´ve achieved the maximum number of flags possible, given that there are are various secluded coves in the area that cannot be considered for the award due to lack of services or easy access.”

Finally, the marina at Porto Cristo has also been recognised for its work in environmental education and awarenss, with regular visits by students from local schools like Mitjà de Mar and Ses Comes who learn about everything from local marine life to global warming and the effects of harmful contamination.

Source (in Spanish only): diariodemallorca.es