Canaries beaches among those named as Spain’s worst ‘black flag’ spots – see the rest of the list

Holidaymakers heading for the Canary Islands have been warned to expect sewage spills, marine litter and intrusive urban developments in ‘black flag’ areas by a Spanish environmental group.

Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action) released their annual rankings of beaches in the most serious environmental conditions on Wednesday (12 June).

After the inspection of 8,000km (4,970 miles) of the Spanish coastline, 48 black flag status beaches – two flags per province or city – were listed in the Banderas Negras (Black Flags) 2024 report.

This year, more than 15 black flags were handed out due to chemical spills, 15 for coastal development and six due to chemical, light and noise pollution.

Purification problems, the accumulation of marine litter, port urbanisation and the dumping of plastic pellets were among the other environmental issues.

The group blasted the Canary Island authorities for allowing the islands to accumulate an ecological footprint equivalent to a territory 27 times its size in the 167-page report.

Ecologists in Action said: “Without a doubt, one of the biggest problems we face is the touristification and urbanization of our coastline.

“A problem that especially affects the Canary Islands, whose population is organizing, under the cry of “The Canary Islands have a limit”, to reject the numerous attacks and threats that endanger the conservation of these islands and the future of future generations.”

Beachfront hotels in Fuerteventura, Tenerife, El Hierro and La Palma were singled out in the report for failing to “comply with environmental laws” and “ensure the restoration of the ecosystem”.

The popular white sands of Playa Blanca beach in Lanzarote also received black flag status for a sewage spill which led to the beach’s temporary closure in May.

Holiday hotspots including sandy stretches in Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante and the Balearics were found to have some of the worst beaches in Spain for substandard sustainability efforts.

The environmental group said private boats anchoring illegally at Talamanca Beach in Ibiza were proving catastrophic to marine life. It also noted that El Amerador Beach, north of Alicante, had seen two recent incidents of fecal pollution entering the sea, and the San Juan festival was named and shamed for littering the Malaga coastline with plastic containers each year.