Beach flags
Below is a list of all of the blue beaches in the Costa Brava near us. Two of my favorites are included Llafranc, and San Antoni.
So, just in case you’re not familiar with the system of different colored flags used to indicate the swimming conditions, here’s a short recap:
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A green flag means it is safe to swim, so jump right on in!
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A yellow flag means swimming is permitted but caution is advised, and it is recommended that you swim only close to where there are lifeguards on duty.
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If you see a red flag, go to the xiringuito instead for beers – swimming is not allowed!
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A black flag means that the beach is unsafe due to the condition of the sea and/or sand, but fortunately these are very rarely seen in these parts.
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Keep an eye out too for flags with jellyfish drawn on them. Their meaning is fairly self-explanatory: it’s another day for beers in the xiringuito!
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You may also see a blue flag. This is an “eco-label award for beaches with good practices in terms of water quality, environmental management, safety & services and environmental education”. Just some of the blue flag beaches close to us include La Fosca, Torre Valentina and Platja d’Aro.
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If you see a red and yellow flag, don’t be confused; that’s just the flag of the Comunitat Autònoma de Catalunya!
Blue Flags
Getting back to those blue flags for a moment, did you know that Spain is the world leader for its number of beaches with Blue Flags? In 2021 Spain was awarded 713 flags nationwide (up by 25 on last year’s number), and of those, 26 are right here on La Costa Brava, including a couple of new ones at La Fosca and the Costa Brava Yacht Club. Others in the Baix Empordà include Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Sant Pol, Cala Rovira, Platja d’Aro-Platja Gran, Sa Conca, Cala Cristus-Ses Torretes, Platja d’Es Monestrí, Sant Antoni, Torre Valentina, Canadell, Llafranc, Tamariu and Cala Montgó.
Top 10 Beaches in the Baix Empordà
For the most part, the beaches of the Baix Empordà are fantastic for hanging out, sunbathing, having lunch and especially swimming – but do check the flags before you take the plunge, just in case there might be a strong current not easily spotted to the untrained eye.
Whether you want a beach suitable for all the family, somewhere with places to get a bite to eat or a few beers, or a quiet secluded beach where you can go au naturale and strip to your birthday suit, there’s a beach on the Costa Brava for you. If you’d like a few suggestions, feel free to check out our Top 10 Beaches of El Baix Empordà. We are so spoilt for choice with so many wonderful along the length of the Costa Brava that we had to narrow our recommendations down to just the Baix Empordà, and we still had to leave some lovely beaches out!
The flag of the Region of Catalunya flying high
Know before you go
If you’d rather check on what conditions are like before you head for the beach check the website. In case you have any doubts it’ll tell you everything you need to know and help you decide which beach to go to for your swim.
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