In brief
Bordighera has the Blue Flag: in 2026 the FEE confirmed the award both for the town’s coastline and for its marina. It is nothing new. The FEE Italy online archive starts in 2003, and Bordighera appears in every edition since then. The marina joined the list in 2021.
Every summer the flag flies again along the seafront, all the way to the little church of Sant’Ampelio on the rocks. But what lies behind that blue rectangle? Who awards it, what is checked and what does it mean for anyone coming here for a swim? This article explains it, using official data.
What the Blue Flag is
The Blue Flag is an international programme run by the FEE, the Foundation for Environmental Education, launched in 1987. In Italy it is managed by FEE Italia, which celebrated its fortieth edition in 2026. The award goes to coastal towns that show they manage their sea and beaches well, and to marinas, which have their own criteria.
Two things to know straight away. The Blue Flag lasts one year: every town has to apply again and prove once more that it meets the requirements. And it is not only about clean water: it also looks at how the town handles waste and wastewater treatment, at beach services and safety, and at what it does for environmental education.
How it is awarded: the criteria
The programme has more than thirty criteria, updated periodically. They fall into four areas:
- Water quality. This is the requirement that allows no exceptions: the water must be excellent according to official sampling, and no wastewater discharge may affect the beach.
- Environmental management. Clean beaches, bins and separate waste collection, toilets connected to the sewer network, efficient wastewater treatment, no motor vehicles or camping on the beach.
- Services and safety. Lifeguards, first aid, emergency plans and at least one beach accessible to people with disabilities.
- Education and information. Information boards on water quality, beach rules and local ecosystems, and environmental education activities during the year.
Applications are assessed by a national jury, which looks at data from the last four years and at how the area is managed. Surprise inspections can also take place during the season.
The Blue Flag in Bordighera: the coastline and the marina
In the official lists Bordighera’s awarded beach is simply called “Litorale” (coastline): the award covers the town’s whole coast, not a single stretch. It therefore includes the arc of pebbles in front of the Lungomare Argentina, the rocks below the church of Sant’Ampelio and the rockier coast beyond the headland.
Since 2021 the list of marinas has also included the Porto di Bordighera, the town’s marina. For marinas the Blue Flag rewards environmental management of the harbour and the services for people who go to sea. In 2026 there are six Blue Flag marinas in the province of Imperia.
For a town that has always lived by the sea, from the fishermen of the Capo to the nineteenth-century English travellers who spent the winter among the palms, it is a confirmation that matters: the sea is the first reason people come to Bordighera.
Liguria, the region of Blue Flags
For years Liguria has been at the top of the Italian rankings for the number of awarded towns. In 2026 it is first again, with 35 towns (ahead of Apulia and Calabria). In the western Riviera, on the Riviera dei Fiori, the flag flies in many towns near Bordighera. In 2026 it reached Taggia for the first time.
If you are travelling along the coast, the Riviera dei Fiori cycle path takes you from Ospedaletti to San Lorenzo al Mare a few metres from the water, between one swim and the next.
Water quality, stretch by stretch
The Blue Flag gives a verdict on the town as a whole. The official classification of bathing water, on the other hand, assesses each stretch of coast. It is drawn up every year by the Liguria Region on the basis of four years of ARPAL sampling, with four classes: excellent, good, sufficient and poor.
For the 2026 season Bordighera has seven bathing areas, and six out of seven are rated excellent, the highest class. During the season ARPAL takes samples at least once a month and publishes the results, and the Blue Flag programme requires information boards on the beach showing the water quality.
Where to swim in Bordighera
The coast offers different settings within a few kilometres:
- The Lungomare Argentina: a single arc of small pebbles and coarse sand, divided by rock groynes, with equipped beach clubs and stretches of free beach. Convenient for families, a short walk from the station.
- The rocks of the Capo: clear water and seabeds to explore with mask and snorkel, in the shade of the Capo pine wood.
- Beyond the Capo: quieter rocky shores and small beaches towards Arziglia, below the palm grove.
All the practical details (bathing season, free beaches, seabed, tips) are in our guide The beaches of Bordighera. If you also want to see the sea from the water, try sunset kayaking below the Capo.
How to help keep it
The Blue Flag is renewed every year, and the behaviour of beachgoers counts too. Take your rubbish and cigarette ends away with you, use the bins for separate collection, leave nothing among the rocks and respect the areas where swimming is forbidden, such as the 200 metres around the harbour entrance. These are small gestures, but they are part of the criteria by which Bordighera’s sea is judged every year.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bordighera have the Blue Flag in 2026?
Yes. In 2026 the FEE confirmed the Blue Flag both for Bordighera’s coastline and for its marina.
How long has Bordighera had the Blue Flag?
The FEE Italy online archive starts in 2003, and Bordighera has appeared in every edition since then. The marina has had it since 2021.
What does Blue Flag mean?
It is an international award from the Foundation for Environmental Education. It goes to coastal towns with excellent water, good environmental management, beach services and safety, and environmental education activities. It lasts one year and has to be won again every season.
Which beach in Bordighera has the Blue Flag?
In the FEE lists the awarded beach is the “Litorale”, meaning the town’s whole coastline: from the seafront to the rocks of Capo Sant’Ampelio and the coast beyond the headland.
Which Italian region has the most Blue Flags?
In 2026 it is Liguria, with 35 awarded towns, ahead of Apulia and Calabria.
Where are the best beaches in Liguria?
Liguria’s coast mixes rocky shores, pebble beaches and sandy bays, from the Riviera di Ponente in the west to the Riviera di Levante in the east. The Blue Flag list is a good guide to water quality and services: in 2026 it includes 35 Ligurian towns, Bordighera among them. For swimming spots in town, see Bordighera’s beaches.
