Blue Flag beaches in the Turkish provinces of Kocaeli, Zonguldak and Bartın have completed their preparations and are counting down the days to welcome visitors for the summer season.
The Blue Flag is awarded by the Turkish Environmental Education Foundation (TÜRÇEV) to beaches that meet strict environmental and safety criteria. Currently, Kocaeli hosts nine Blue Flag beaches, Zonguldak has two and Bartın has one.
Located along the coasts of the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, these Blue Flag beaches offer clean and safe swimming areas during the summer months.
Kocaeli, one of Türkiye’s major industrial cities, features Blue Flag beaches that attract both local residents and tourists from nearby provinces during the summer.
The Izmit Bay area boasts Blue Flag beaches such as Altınkemer and Ereğli Kumyalı, while the Black Sea coast in the Kandıra district offers Cebeci, Kerpe, Bağırganlı, Kumcağız, Miço, Kovanağzı and Seyrek beaches – all providing services that meet international standards.
Mesut Önem, head of the Department of Environmental Protection and Control, highlighted that out of 24 swimming areas in the province, nine have qualified for the Blue Flag, an “eco-label” awarded annually after meeting 33 criteria, including water quality.
Kandıra, with a permanent population of about 50,000 that multiplies 10 to 20 times during summer, is especially noted for its natural beauty and protected bays. The municipality has invested heavily in sustainable environmental management since 2004, ensuring no untreated wastewater is discharged into the seas through 23 treatment plants and organizing regular sea cleaning activities.
Altınkemer Public Beach has been recognized by TÜRÇEV as the beach most frequented by children, reflecting Kocaeli’s focus on family-friendly coastal areas.
Bartın’s Inkumu Beach, surrounded by mountains and forest, is the province’s only Blue Flag beach, stretching over a 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) coastline. Since its successful Blue Flag application in 2021, the beach has attracted visitors mainly from Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya and neighboring provinces.
The beach experiences its peak season during June, July and August, with holiday weekends and national holidays seeing particularly high visitor numbers. Parking restrictions are sometimes applied during busy times to manage traffic flow.
Bartın Mayor Rıza Yalçınkaya described the province’s coastline as a rare natural beauty with steep, forested slopes leading down to clean, calm bays. In addition to Inkumu, seven other beaches managed by the provincial administration and district centers like Amasra and Kurucaşile also attract tourists.
Since 2000, numerous environmental and safety improvements have been implemented, including lifeguard services, drowning prevention measures and advanced wastewater treatment systems. These efforts culminated in meeting all 33 Blue Flag criteria, making Inkumu a symbol of a clean, safe and well-equipped beach.
Zonguldak’s Karadeniz Ereğli district earned Blue Flags for its “Sevgi” (Love) and “Barış” (Peace) beaches after a four-year preparation process, receiving the award in 2023. These beaches, located along the Karadeniz Ereğli-Alaplı coastal road, attract many visitors from other Turkish cities as well as European tourists.
Despite sustaining damage during a storm in November 2023, the municipality swiftly restored and improved the beaches. The area covers 51,000 square meters and includes Sevgi Beach, Barış Beach and the Dostluk (Friendship) Picnic Area, all praised for their natural beauty.
Sevgi Beach is free to enter, with complimentary sunbeds and umbrellas and visitors can bring their own food. Barış Beach charges for sunbeds and umbrellas and offers hygienic food services on-site, including the local specialty, Ereğli pide.
Halil Posbıyık, mayor of Karadeniz Ereğli, emphasized the presence of lifeguards, private security and 24-hour monitoring. The picnic area includes barbecue facilities, tables and chairs free for public use.
The beaches feature modern amenities such as an aqua park, volleyball and basketball courts, children’s play areas, prayer rooms and more. Tourists from southern coastal resorts like Bodrum and Antalya, drawn by the cooler Black Sea waters, frequently choose these beaches. European visitors and domestic tourists alike appreciate the quality, often stating that there’s no need to travel to southern resorts when Ereğli offers excellent alternatives.
