Praia do Ancão in Loulé is the first beach to raise a Blue Flag in Portugal this year, the local council has announced.
The European Blue Flag Association has confirmed that the national Blue Flag hoisting ceremonies will begin on Monday, June 15, with Ancão first on the list.
Says the local council, the ceremony will be attended by representatives from several institutions, including from the Blue Flag Programme, the Algarve Tourism Board, ARS Algarve, the Faro Port Authority, the Portuguese Environmental Agency and other local institutions.
As readers may recall, the Algarve is once again the region with the most flags (87) in Portugal.
The total number in the Algarve has fallen, however, compared to last year. While Portimão Marina beach received its first flag, Batata and Camilo beaches in Lagos have lost theirs.
All other beaches in the region retain their Blue Flags this year.
On a national level, the number is up from 352 to 360.
