Canary Islands lead public port management with six Blue Flags

The archipelago becomes the first autonomous community to receive this international award for direct-management public ports.

Blue Flag waving in a Canary Islands port.
IA

Blue Flag waving in a Canary Islands port.

The Government of the Canary Islands has reached a historic milestone by securing six Blue Flags for direct-management public ports, establishing the archipelago as a national leader in port sustainability.

The ports of Las Nieves, Garachico, Gran Tarajal, Playa Blanca, Órzola, and Caleta del Sebo have been awarded this international recognition. This certification evaluates key aspects such as environmental quality, safety, accessibility, and the excellence of services provided to users.
This achievement sets a precedent, as it is the first time an autonomous community has obtained this award for general interest ports under public management, moving beyond the traditional model limited to sports marinas. The port of Órzola stands out as the smallest public-managed maritime port in Spain to receive this seal.

"The Canary Islands are leading a new way of understanding port management, based on sustainability, innovation, and the continuous improvement of public services."

the head of Public Works · Regional Minister of the Canary Islands Government
The strategy, framed within the 2024-2027 Strategic Framework, aims to transform facilities into EcoPorts. To achieve this, waste management measures, environmental education, and equipment modernization have been strengthened. Furthermore, the public entity has announced the development of the PIC (Smart Canary Ports) platform, which will integrate IoT technology and advanced connectivity to optimize port operations by 2030.