For the tenth year running South African beaches have been evaluated, and 15 beaches in the Western Cape, and five in Cape Town alone, have been awarded Blue Flag status, reports Southern African Tourism Update. In total 27 beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status around the country, meaning that the Western Cape has the cleanest beaches in general in the country, an excellent benefit for tourism. Another 14 beaches are ‘bubbling under’, working on their Blue Flag status for next year.
Ten years ago only three South African beaches were awarded Blue Flag status. South Africa is the only country outside of Europe to have its beaches tested for quality. This ensures that locals as well as tourists can be guaranteed world-class beaches and facilities, being safe, clean and well-managed. Climate change is affecting the quality of beaches and its facilities, and municipalities are commended for spending scarce financial resources to rehabilitate these beaches in order to meet and maintain the Blue Flag standards.
The 27 Blue Flag beaches are the following:
Yzerfontein Main beach, Yzerfontein
Clifton 4th beach, Cape Town
Camps Bay, Cape Town
Muizenberg, Cape Town
Strandfontein beach, Cape Town
Mnandi beach, Cape Town
Bikini beach, Gordon’s Bay
Kleinmond beach, near Hermanus
Hawston beach, near Hermanus
Grotto beach, Hermanus
Lappiesbaai, Stilbaai, Southern Cape
Witsand at the mouth of the Breede River
Santos beach, Mossel Bay
Hartenbos beach, Mossel Bay
Robberg 5 beach, Plettenberg Bay
Dolphin beach, Jeffrey’s Bay
Humewood beach, Port Elizabeth
Wells Estate, north of Port Elizabeth
Kelly’s beach, Port Alfred
Kariega Main beach, Kenton-on-Sea
Umzumbe (Pumula) on the south coast KZN (new)
Lucien beach near Margate (back)
Trafalgar beach, south coast KZN
Marina beach, south coast KZN
Ramsgate beach, near Margate
Margate beach
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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Congratulations Cape Town and the Western Cape! We can all (from the authorities, to the member of the public who picks up that piece of litter from the shoreline) be extremely proud of this achievement. Tourists have been given 15 more reasons to visit our destination.
Dear Alan
Chuffed that you as provincial Minister of Tourism are reading my blog, and thank you for your comment.
The 15 Blue Flag beaches are excellent news for tourism, and for three of our Whale Cottages, being in close proximity to three of these beaches in Camps Bay, Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay.
Chris