Greece has came third among 50 countries in terms of Blue Flag certification, with 430 beaches and 9 marinas for 2016. The country also came fourth in Europe with the European Environment Agency confirming that 97.2 percent of its beaches are of the highest quality for swimming.

Run by the independent non-profit organization Foundation for Environmental Education, the Blue Flag Program is dedicated to labeling beaches and marinas appropriate for swimming. The criteria that a beach must fulfill to get a Blue Flag has to do with its cleanness, the water quality, organization, safety of the swimmers, environmental protection and other services.

This year, 3,462 beaches and 660 marinas in 50 countries were inspected.