How to pick a clean beach in France

Just in time for summer holiday planning, the 2023 Pavillon Bleu (Blue Flag) awards for coastal cleanliness saw 511 sites – 406 beaches and 105 harbours – receive the award, which is based on nearly 100 criteria relating to ecosystem preservation.

The main themes considered by judges are: environmental education and public awareness, the general environment, site management, water management, environmental management and waste management.

Specific criteria for beaches include disabled access, bathing water quality and coral monitoring, while harbours and ports are rewarded, among many other things, for their safety and rescue provision.

Participating towns and villages must pay a fee to be considered for a blue flag.

The Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) regions dominate the list, with 241 sites between them, or 47% of total sites awarded the label.

Nine beaches and five ports have made the list for the first time this year, while Pornichet in Loire-Atlantique received a special prize (Le Prix Thomas Joly) in recognition of its biodiversity efforts and dune preservation.

You can check the map of beaches that have attained their blue flag by visiting https://pavillonbleu.org and clicking on ‘Palmares’ on the top menu.

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