Too Dirty: Spain’s Beaches Receive Black Flags

Spain’s beaches attract millions of holidaymakers year after year. Yet behind the picture-postcard scenery, many stretches of coastline are coming under growing environmental pressure. In its Coastal Report 2026, the environmental organisation Ecologistas en Acción draws attention to particularly serious shortcomings by once again awarding 48 so-called Black Flags (Banderas Negras 2026). Each of Spain’s coastal provinces receives two negative distinctions for especially severe examples of environmental degradation or poor coastal management.