Twenty-one beaches and marinas in Málaga province will fly the quality-conferring blue flag this summer, two more than last year.

The blue flags, awarded by the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) and announced last week by its Spanish affiliate Adeac, will be unfurled over 17 beaches and four marinas in Málaga province.

The beaches to receive the nod are Sabinillas and La Colonia in Manilva; La Rada, El Cristo and El Padrón in Estepona; Puerto Banús and Guadalmina-San Pedro in Marbella; La Cala in Mijas; Los Boliches-Las Gaviotas, Torreblanca, Carvajal, Santa Amalia and El Castillo in Fuengirola; La Malagueta and El Dedo in Málaga city; and Torrecilla and Burriana in Nerja.

The marinas getting the flag are Caleta de Vélez in Vélez-Málaga; La Bajadilla in Marbella; La Duquesa in Manilva; and the Estepona marina.

The FEE's blue flag programme, launched in 1987 with the approval of the European Commission, distinguishes beaches and marinas that meet "strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services."