If you’re craving warm sun, sand between your toes, azure waters, and a drink with a tiny umbrella in it, then it sounds like you’re in desperate need of a beach getaway. But you shouldn’t settle for just any old beach. Instead, you should head to one of the cleanest beaches in the world. And that may just be closer than you think.

The easiest way to identify a sustainable seaside spot is to simply look for a Blue Flag designation, a “voluntary award for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats.” Beaches can only qualify via a “series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria,” which must both be met and maintained. But it’s not just about keeping the beach clean; it’s also about educating the public on the fragile environment, too. As Blue Flag’s website explained, “Environmental education activities must be offered and promoted in addition to a permanent display of information relevant to the site in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems, and environmental phenomena.”

While there are Blue Flag beaches all over the world, Mexico is the star of the show in North America, boasting a whopping 77 Blue Flag-designated beaches.

The list includes 25 Blue Flag destinations in Los Cabos, along with other tourism hot spots like Zihuatanejo, with five beaches; Puerto Vallarta, which has four Blue Flag beaches; Isla Mujeres, with another four; and Puerto Morelos, with two of its own. 

Truly, it’s worth seeking out beaches with a Blue Flag designation as they not only require communities to stay sustainable but also provide guests with useful services. Part of the 33 criteria for a Blue Flag designation include requiring water quality to be displayed, for the beaches to be kept clean, for trash containers to be available, and for “an adequate number of toilet or restroom facilities” to be available for visitors. But most importantly, “free access must be granted to the public.” 

As for how the U.S. and Canada compare, our northern neighbors have seven Blue Flag beaches, while in the U.S., there are just two: Delray Beach in Florida and Westward Beach in Malibu, California.

Find all the Blue Flag beaches around the globe at blueflag.global.