Pictures of exotic beauty… Sparkling waters kissing the sand or splashing on the pebbles… Coming out of the sea, feeling the cool water and the salt on your skin… Basking under the sun looking at amazing sea views… Feasting your eyes on unimaginable blue waters… A tourist’s paradise. But what about the quality of these waters? Scientists keep warning us about marine pollution increasing by the day. There are several factors causing it, including sewage, toxic chemicals from industries, nuclear waste, thermal pollution, plastics, acid rain, and oil spillage.
So are sea waters dangerous for us? Should we say goodbye to swimming in the sea? Of course not! All over the world, scientific organisations and governmental bodies monitor the quality of bathing waters. The European Union is one of them.
So, which European countries have the best quality waters for bathing in?
According to the latest annual European bathing water quality report, Greece is one of the three top countries rated with bathing wares of excellent quality, along with Cyprus and Malta. More specifically, 97% of all monitored swimming sites in Greece were found to have crystal clear bathing waters, meeting the most stringent EU quality standards for water cleanliness.
Furthermore, after the announcement of the awards of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN), National Operator of the ‘Blue Flag’ International Programme in our country, Greece ranks 2nd in the world among 47 countries for 2019, with 515 award-winning ‘blue flag’ beaches.
And, of course, the crystal blue waters of Santorini are high among the winners: Agios Georgios, Vlychada, Kamari 1, Kamari 2, Perivolos and Perissa are proud Blue Flag holders!
So when you come to Santorini, don’t hesitate for a minute! Submerge into the sparkling waters and enjoy an unforgettable swimming and diving experience. The trend nowadays is for many tourists to hire accommodations with swimming pools and jacuzzi hot tubs, and to spend their day in them, instead of going to the beach and enjoy the sea. This is a pity, because experiencing the sea environment is the core essence of visiting Greece, of coming on this island. And furthermore, all these added swimming pools and jacuzzi hot tubs distort the island’s traditional architecture and deform its landscape.
So don’t spend your days away from the beaches and the sea. Enjoy them and protect them. Avoid leaving any kind of litter behind. Preserve this nature’s gifts for the generations to come.
