If you are holidaying in South Africa during summer at the coast, a Blue Flag beach is where you want to lay the towels down and put up an umbrella to keep out the sun. The Blue Flag beaches SA is a concept conceived in France as a programme to recognise the highest standards of environmental management, safety and services. With 33 main criteria covering the main 4 aspects of – water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and services.
South Africa introduce the Blue Flag programme in 2001 from initially 3 beaches to 41 beaches by 2015-16. There are 30 full Blue Flag beaches in the Western Cape , followed by Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape.
In South Africa the programme is run by The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) along with the municipal authorities. The Blue Flag website has information on each beach’s location, number of lifeguards, parking, facilities, water temperature and special birds or animals that can be seen.
The Blue Flag Beaches for 2015/16:
Eastern Cape
– Boknes Beach, near Port Alfred
– Dolphin Beach, Jeffrey’s Bay
– Humewood Beach, Port Elizabeth
– Kariega Beach, Kenton-on-Sea
– Kelly’s Beach, Port Alfred
– Kings Beach, Port Elizabeth
– Middle Beach, Kenton-on-Sea
– Kleinemonde Beach
KwaZulu-Natal
– Alkantstrand, Richards Bay
– Lucien Beach, South Coast
– Marina/San Lameer Beach, South Coast
– Southport, South Coast
– Trafalgar Beach, South Coast
– Umzumbe (Pumula) Beach, South Coast
Northern Cape
– McDougalls Bay Beach, Port Nolloth (Richtersveld)
Western Cape
– Bikini Beach, Gordon’s Bay
– Brenton-on-Sea, near Knysna
– Buffalo Bay beach, near Knysna
– Camps Bay Beach, Cape Town
– Clifton 4th Beach, Cape Town
– De Bakke, Mossel Bay
– Gouritsmond, near Mossel Bay
– Grotto Beach, Hermanus
– Hartenbos Beach, Mossel Bay
– Hawston Beach, near Hermanus
– Keurboomstrand, near Plettenberg Bay
– Kleinbrak Beach, near George
– Kleinmond Beach, near Hermanus
– Lappiesbaai Beach, Stilbaai
– Llandudno, Cape Town
– Mnandi Beach, Cape Town
– Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town
– Natures’ Valley, near Plettenberg Bay
– Preekstoel, near Still Bay
– Robberg 5th, Plettenberg Bay
– Santos Beach, Mossel Bay
– Silwerstroom, Cape Town
– Strandfontein Beach, near Cape Town
– Strandfontein Beach, Vredendal, West Coast
– Wilderness Beach, near George
– Witsand Beach, mouth of the Breede River
Nothing beats a beach holiday! Hire a car from CABS Car Hire and visit as many of our blues flag beaches as you can and enjoy the summer.
