Manilva has regained one of its most important tourism and environmental goals for this summer. The Town Hall has announced that this year our beaches will have three Blue Flags, an international award recognising the quality and sustainability of the coastline.
The awards, granted by the Asociación de Educación Ambiental y del Consumidor and the Fundación para la Educación Medioambiental, will fly at Playa de Sabinillas and Playa de Las Gaviotas, as well as at the Puerto de la Duquesa.
Recovery after years of obstacles
Achieving these three Blue Flags not only reflects the current state of the coastline, but also symbolises the overcoming of a complex administrative process. Manilva once had as many as four awards along its eight kilometres of coast, but between 2019 and 2021 it lost them due to problems relating to the Coastal Law (Ley de Costas) and obstacles to regularising some sections of the seafront promenade.
The Town Hall has always maintained that this loss was not linked to water quality, which has always remained at excellent levels, but to administrative and urban planning issues.
The recovery began in 2022 with Playa de Sabinillas following improvements to the promenade. Now, in 2026, Playa de Las Gaviotas has been added again, a spot that had presented difficulties in the Castillo area because of the situation of homes and infrastructure.
Institutional satisfaction
The mayor, Mario Jiménez, and the Beaches department councillor, Gema Zotano, have welcomed the news very positively. Both stressed that this recognition is the result of the “magnificent work and daily effort” of municipal workers, technicians, cleaning staff and lifeguards.
The Town Hall highlights that this achievement is a collective one and responds to years of effort to place Manilva once again among the leading coastal destinations.
Puerto de la Duquesa, an established benchmark
Special mention goes to Puerto de la Duquesa, which keeps its Blue Flag for another year and now has 29 consecutive years with this award. This continuity consolidates it as one of the most outstanding marinas in the province of Málaga in terms of sustainability, services and quality.
A seal of assurance for tourism
The Blue Flags certify compliance with four fundamental pillars: bathing water quality, environmental education, sustainable management, and safety along with the services available.
For Manilva, this hat-trick represents a significant boost to its image as a tourist destination, just ahead of the high season.
With this recognition, the municipality reaffirms its commitment to a model of sustainable, high-quality tourism, regaining the place it historically held on the Málaga coast.
