Tuscany has gained one additional Blue Flag destination for 2026, with Monte Argentario joining the list of Italian coastal and lakeside municipalities recognised by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
The international environmental organisation announced on Wednesday that Italy now has 257 Blue Flag municipalities, up from 246 last year. The programme recognises seaside and lakeside destinations with high bathing water quality, environmental standards and public services.
The addition of Monte Argentario
With the addition of Monte Argentario, Tuscany now has 20 Blue Flag municipalities. The region remains behind Liguria, which continues to lead the national ranking with 35 recognised locations.
The new Tuscan entry strengthens the position of the southern part of the region’s coast, particularly the Maremma area in the province of Grosseto. Monte Argentario, a peninsula connected to the mainland by narrow strips of land and known for ports such as Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole, joins other Blue Flag destinations in the province including Follonica, Castiglione della Pescaia, Marina di Grosseto and Orbetello.
The Blue Flags across Tuscany
Across Tuscany, the recognised beaches include destinations in the provinces of Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Pisa, Livorno and Grosseto. The Livorno coastline has the highest concentration, with locations including Quercianella, Castiglioncello, Marina di Cecina, Marina di Bibbona, San Vincenzo and Marciana Marina on Elba Island.
Seven Tuscan tourist marinas also received Blue Flag recognition. They include the Porto di Pisa, Marina Cala de’ Medici in Rosignano Marittimo, the ports of Marciana Marina and Porto Azzurro on Elba Island, Marina di Punta Ala, Porto della Maremma in Grosseto and Marina di Cala Galera in Monte Argentario.
The 257 Blue Flags in Italy
According to FEE, the Blue Flag criteria include excellent bathing water quality over the past four years, wastewater treatment systems, waste collection and recycling, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, beach accessibility, safety services and environmental education programmes.
For the second consecutive year, all participating municipalities were also required to submit a three-year sustainability action plan covering the period 2025–2027. The plans focus on sustainable mobility, climate action, biodiversity protection and environmentally sustainable urban management.
Nationally, the 257 municipalities account for 525 awarded beaches, representing about 11.6% of all Blue Flag beaches worldwide. New entries in 2026 also include Rimini, Locri and Limone sul Garda.
(Cover photo: Acqua Dolce beach via Monteargentario.info)
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