Award-winning beaches and marinas

These awards are our way of making sure you can confidently visit and enjoy clean, safe and well-managed beaches. They encourage great environmental care, which helps protect our precious coastlines and inland bathing waters for everyone to enjoy. 

The awards are announced each May, just in time for the summer bathing season, which typically runs from May through September. 

What makes a Blue Flag beach?

When you see a Blue Flag flying at a beach or marina, you can be sure you've found a world-class destination. This is a prestigious international award that recognises excellence in four key areas: 

• Environmental management: The site is managed with the environment in mind.
• Safety and services: You can feel safe with services like lifeguards, first aid, and proper waste disposal.
• Cleanliness: The beach is clean, safe, and accessible for all visitors.
• Environmental education: The site provides educational activities and information so you can learn more about the local environment. 

The Blue Flag is managed globally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). In England, Keep Britain Tidy is the national operator, making sure all beaches meet these rigorous international standards. 

What is a Seaside Award? 

The Seaside Award is our national standard that celebrates the beauty and diversity of England's coastline. It recognises fantastic coastal spots that are clean, safe and well-managed, even if they aren't designated as a traditional bathing beach. 

When you see a Seaside Award, you can trust that the beach has been assessed against our own high standards for:

• Cleanliness: Litter control and waste disposal are a top priority.
• Safety: The beach provides safety and first aid services.
• Management: The site is effectively managed to ensure a great experience for all. 

Our judging process 

We take our awards seriously! To earn a Blue Flag or Seaside Award, beaches and marinas go through a rigorous judging process.

First, the beach management team submits a detailed application with evidence to the international Blue Flag jury. Then, one of our qualified judges visits the beach unannounced during the bathing season to check everything in person—from water quality data provided by the Environment Agency to the cleanliness and safety provisions on the day.

Want to help us find the best beaches? 

If you have professional experience in environmental, beach management or quality assurance, we'd love for you to become a volunteer judge! It's a fantastic way to give back. Please get in touch below to find out more. 

Learn more 

Find a beach: Use our interactive map to discover your nearest Blue Flag or Seaside Award-winning beach or marina. 

Find your nearest

Do you manage a beach, marina or other blue space? 

Whether coastal or inland, we'd love to hear from you. Check out our Blue Flag and Seaside Award pages or contact us to learn more about how to apply for an award.