MAYBE you won't settle for less than impeccable when searching for a beach to flop out and catch the rays on.
But if that's the case, you'll find it in this list – or perhaps your own local beach is already on it.
Playa Grande, or Platja Gran, in Tossa de Mar, with its Mediaeval castle right next door, is one of the Costa Brava beaches that keeps its blue flag for 2022 (photo: Tossa de Mar tourism board)
Here's the full catalogue of Spain's 621 blue-flagged beaches for 2022, where to find them, which ones are new, and which haven't made the cut this year – but which are probably still fabulous, worth a visit, and won't disappoint.
Costa Brava
Best beaches and marinas of 2022 in the province of Girona include the Platja de Lloret, a newcomer for this year, whilst Castelló d'Empúries (Empúriabrava) has lost last year's blue flag.
The remainder are the same as in 2021, and are found in Blanes (Blanes, Sabanell, Sant Francesc-Cala Bona), Castell-Platja d'Aro (Cala Rovira, Platja d'Aro-Platja Gran, Sa Conca), Palafrugell (Canadell, Llafranc, Tamariu), Palamós (La Fosca), Port de la Selva, Llançá (Del Port, Grifeu), Calonge i Sant Antoni (Cala Cristus-Ses Torretes, d'Es Monestrí, Sant Antoni, Torre Valentina), Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Sant Feliu, Sant Pol), Torroelloa de Montgrí (Cala Montgó), Tossa de Mar (Gran de Tossa, La Mar Menuda), and Lloret de Mar (Cala Canyelles, Sa Boadella, Santa Cristina).
Barcelona province
Top beaches in towns that share a province with Spain's largest city include a new one in Badalona – Pescadors – with Cristall having kept its flag from 2021, and for Barcelona, with Mar Bella; all the others in the capital (Bogatell, Nova Mar Bella, and Sant Sebastià i Sant Miquel) have retained their kitemarks. El Masnou has lost its blue flag for Ocata, but kept it for Platja Masnou.
Els Pescadors ('The Fishermen') beach in Badalona is a new blue flag winner for this year. The town earned a special distinction for its hard work in recent years that resulted in its earning back all the blue flags it had previously lost (photo: Esquerra Republicana)
The others remain the same as last year: Caldes d'Estrac (Dels Tres Micos), Calella (Garbí), Canet de Mar, Cubelles (Llarga), Gavá, Castelldefels (Del Baixador, Lluminetes), , Malgrat de Mar (Malgrat-Centre, De l'Astillero), Pineda del Mar (Dels Pescadors, La Riera), Sant Pol de Mar (Les Barques-Sant Pol), Vilanova i la Geltrú (D'Adarró, Ibersol, Ribes-Roges, Sant Gervasi), Sitges (Aiguadolç, Balmins, Garraf, La Barra, La Ribera, Les Botigues, Sant Sebastiá, and Terramar.
Costa Daurada
The 2022 blue-flagged beaches for the province of Tarragona do not include last year's four in Mont Roig del Camp (Cala Vienesos-dels Espenyals, Casa dels Lladres, Cristall, Pixerota), nor Pixavaques beach in L'Ametlla de Mar, although the latter retains its 2021 flags for Calafató, Cala Forn, L'Alguer, and Sant Jordi.
A new blue flag has been awarded for L'Almadrava beach in Vandellós and L'Hospitalet de l'Infant, which also keeps last year's for L'Arenal, La Punta del Riu, and Tom.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com