Greece has secured its place among the top five European countries with the cleanest bathing waters, with 95.6% of its waters rated as excellent, according to a recent survey by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The survey places Greece in fourth position, following Cyprus, Austria, and Croatia, with Bulgaria completing the top five.
In contrast, Albania, Poland, Hungary, Estonia, and Belgium ranked lower, with less than 70% of their bathing waters meeting high-quality standards. The survey also highlighted that coastal bathing waters generally fare better in quality than freshwater zones, with 89% of coastal sites rated excellent compared to 79% of inland waters in 2023.
The number of reported EU bathing waters has significantly increased since 1990, stabilising around 21,000 to 22,000 sites. In 2023, the total number of reported EU bathing waters rose by 0.5% to 21,766, with Greece adding 49 new sites.
Notably, four EU countries—Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Estonia—have 3% or more of their bathing sites rated as poor. These sites are closed for the next tourist season to address pollution and safeguard public health.
Read more: Greece's Clean Beaches
(Source: Money Tourism)
