Beaches with the Q for Quality award

Clean, safe, accessible and environmentally friendly. This is what Spain's beaches are like, and this is why they are the chosen destination for thousands of people every year. Their quality has been internationally recognised through the Blue Flag designation awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education. You'll also find some with the demanding Q for Tourist Quality mark. Come and discover what a first-rate coast is like –a coast with the Q award.

With almost 8,000 kilometres of coastline and 3,000 listed beaches, Spain is the perfect destination for those in search of sun and sand at any time of year. Proof of this lies in the thousands who return year after year. Here you'll find a broad, varied array of attractions, with beaches offering a multitude of options for entertainment with the family, water sports and fun by both day and night.

Whichever region you choose, you'll find excellent facilities and clean, sandy beaches, with all the required safety systems, easy accessibility and with an environmentally friendly approach. All this is guaranteed by the quality certificates awarded to Spanish beaches on assessment of these parameters. The blue flag rating is the most widely known, but there are other highly prestigious, demanding systems also in place. These include the Q for Quality distinction, awarded by the Spanish Tourism Quality Institute (ICTE).

When this award was created it was a pioneering innovation at the global level. It differs from other standards in that it focuses especially on the tourism sector, with specific emphasis placed on the needs of the end user. Q for Quality does not only mean that the beach in question meets the necessary quality standards, but also that its facilities and services are constantly being improved to ensure customer satisfaction.

More than 170 beaches in Spain currently have the Q for Tourism Quality award. Once they have earned the award, beaches must pass an annual review to maintain it. Environmental education, leisure services, removal of architectural barriers and assistance to disabled persons are some of the aspects taken into account.

In Spain you can enjoy beaches designed just for you. Come and discover them: they are beaches with the Q for Quality award.