Good news for Puerto Rico as the Foundation of Environmental Education has just designated the Seven Seas beach in Fajardo as a Blue Flag Beach. They also re-certified 4 other beaches here in Puerto Rico making a total of 5 Blue Flag Beaches.
The global blue flag program is based on a host of criteria that cover:
1) Environmental Education and Information
2) Water Quality
3) Environmental Management
4) Safety and Services
For a beach to be designated as a Blue Flag Beach they need to comply with the 29 criteria in the categories above.
The 5 current Blue Flag beaches here in Puerto Rico are:
La Monserrate in Luquillo
This is probably the most famous beach here in Puerto Rico and is known locally as just Luquillo Beach. You will have seen pictures of the beach in many Caribbean brochures. The beach is located in Luquillo about 25 miles east of San Juan. The beach is crescent shaped and is great for bathing and has great facilities for visitors. The beach is also close to El Yunque rainforest and both can easily be seen in a day.
Seven Seas Beach in Fajardo
This is a white sand public beach located near the town of Fajardo. The water is clear and shallow and is protected by offshore reefs. The beach is popular with sun worshippers, water sports enthusiasts and is also popular for snorkeling the nearby coral reefs. You can even camp on the beach as long as you have the appropriate permit
Escambron in San Juan
This is the only public beach that is accessible in Old San Juan. It is small at just 150m long and is situated between between two rocky promontories and protected from the waves of the Atlantic Ocean by an offshore reef. As well as the beach, there are pedestrian and bicycle routes, which are part of the Third Millennium Park in Old San Juan.
The other two beaches to be re-certified were Punta Salinas in Toa Baja, and the Carolina public beach.
