La Barceloneta, Barcelona's most iconic and busiest beach, which attracts up to four million visitors annually, has been excluded from the 2026 Blue Flag list. This leaves seven other beaches in the municipality with the distinction for the second consecutive year.
La Barceloneta, a key tourist attraction and an essential image of the city, will not be among the beaches recognised by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (Adeac) with a Blue Flag this year. This is the only exclusion for Barcelona city compared to the 2025 list. A similar situation occurred in Valencia, another Mediterranean capital, with the removal of El Cabanyal beach. The eight Barcelona beaches that held the award last year are now reduced to seven.
Seven Barcelona Beaches Retain Status
The beaches that maintain their Blue Flag distinction for 2026 are Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Icaria, Nova Mar Bella, Sant Sebastià, Somorrostro, and the Zona de Banys Fòrum. In total, Catalonia will have 101 Blue Flags during the summer of 2026.
Beyond the capital, the province of Barcelona shows some changes. Three beaches have regained Blue Flag status this year: Canet de Mar Beach in Canet de Mar, Mota de Sant Pere Beach in Cubelles, and Els Pescadors Beach in Pineda del Mar. On the other hand, Barques-Estació Beach in Sant Andreu de Llavaneres loses the recognition it held in 2025. The complete list of Blue Flag beaches for 2026 is available for public review.
