After a few years at sea Italian waters are back on the crest of the wave. The official thumbs up comes from Goletta Verde, after examining the seas in and around Italy. Friuli, Molise, Apulia and Sardinia have the cleanest seas while Liguria boasts the highest number of desirable resorts. A word of warning, though, the criteria used in judging the various resorts and beaches were not always the same.
The Blue Flags awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe monitor water and coast quality, quality of infrastructures and safety measures as well as environmental education. The Guida Blu published by Legambiente has chosen 205 council areas on the coast, giving each one from 1 to 5 'sails' according its performance in a total of 128 criteria which include quality of infrastructures, local food and wine and distance from places of cultural or natural interest.

Which leads us to the fundamental question: where should we go for a clean sea and high quality facilities?
A good place to start is the Legambiente's Guida blu, where you can search by region. 12 places in all were awarded the much-sought-after 5 sails. Three are in the province of La Spezia (Liguria) - Riomaggiore, Vernazza and Monterosso; two are in Sardinia - Villasimius and Orosei; two in Apulia - Otranto and the Tremiti Islands; two in Campania - Pollica and Camerota; then one each in the Marches -Sirolo; Sicily - Ustica and Tuscany - Castiglion della Pescaia.
The FEEE has awarded 11 Blue Flags to Liguria, and its selection doesn't always match the one made by Legambiente. The chosen resorts are Camporosso, Bordighera, Laigueglia, Noli, Bergeggi, Celle Ligure, Varazze, Chiavari, Lavagna, Moneglia and Lerici. You can get a full list of all Italy's Blue Flags here.
Our advice before you leave is to browse through our links and evaluate the data according to your own needs. And remember, wherever you go, have fun!