Beach and
Sea Safety
Supervised beaches in Italy have a system of coloured flags to let
the public know about the swimming conditions. The code is:
Green = Safe to swim
Yellow = Caution
Red = Danger
Double Red Flag = Swimming forbidden
Purple = Marine pest present (jelly fish etc.)
Most beaches in
Italy are private, though there are free beaches (spiaggia libera) as well. Some of them are equipped with showers and
public toilets. Private beaches rent out sunbeds (lettino) and parasols (ombrellone) and they tend to be cleaner than free
beaches.
Italy lies in the Mediterranean Sea, however the waters
of the Adriatic Sea (part of the Mediterranean) run the length of the east coast.
The Blue Flag (Bandiera Blu) http://www.blueflag.org/
is an eco label award for beaches with good practices in terms of water quality, environmental management, safety
& services and environmental education. It was introduced in France in 1985 under the name "Pavillon Bleu" and is now
used in 41 countries across the world.
To find a Blue Flag Beach in
Italy visit:
http://www.blueflag.org/Menu/Blue+Flag+beaches%2fmarinas/2010/Northern+Hemisphere/Italy
For more info about beaches in Italy visit:
http://www.italiantourism.com/beaches4.html
