Aghios Nikolaos mayor Mr. Dimitris Kounenakis recently raised a symbolic blue flag commemorating the fact that Aghios Nikolaos has been awarded 22 blue flags this year, putting the municipality’s beaches in first place in Crete, and second place in the entire country.

 The Blue Flags program is an international symbol of quality, perhaps the best known environmental symbol in the world, which since 1987 awards all beaches and marinas that fulfil its strict criteria for clean waters, safety of bathers and protection of the environment among others.

“The fact that we got 22 blue flags this year, and have been receiving these flags for many years now, means a lot to our residents and to our tourism,” the mayor said at the flag-raising ceremonies. “Certainly today, tourism means ecology and environment and the blue flag suggests the coupling of the tourism economy with the environment.”  

The ceremony took place at the Almyros Beach in the presence of noted environmentalists and members of the municipal government.