Nine Greek beaches on Paros and Chios stripped of Blue Flag award for 2026
Nine popular beaches on the Greek islands of Paros and Chios lost their Blue Flag distinction for the 2026 season after unannounced inspections revealed shortcomings. Inspectors from the Greek Society for the Protection of Nature and international assessors found deficiencies in the provision of services to swimmers and visitors (including accessibility for people with disabilities), safety measures, cleanliness and the accuracy of visitor information.
The National Crisis Committee and the Programme Coordination Committee decided to withdraw the awards to safeguard the programme’s credibility. The affected beaches are: Livadia, Logaras, Marpissa/Golden Coast, Pounta on Paros, and Agios Isidoros, Agia Paraskevi, Giostonas, Daskalopetra and Kontari on Chios. Authorities emphasized that water quality remains excellent according to programme standards.
Continuous, largely unannounced, inspections will continue at other Blue‑Flag beaches throughout the summer to ensure ongoing compliance with the programme’s strict criteria.
Entities: Blue Flag programme · Chios · Chios Island · Coordinating Committee of the Blue Flag Programme · Greek Society for the Protection of Nature · National Crisis Committee · National Crisis Committee (Greece) · Paros · Paros Island · Programme Coordination Committee (Greece)