The mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), and the councillor for Beaches, Daniel Gómez Teruel (PP), raised the Blue Trail Flag on Monday morning on the Coastal Path. This distinction is awarded annually by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), and Mijas has renewed it once again this year.

In this way, the town has once again received this recognition, which values the commitment of municipalities and public administrations to the recovery and conservation of trails and routes that promote environmental education and the sustainable enjoyment of our natural surroundings.

 

The mayoress recalled that Mijas has held this distinction since 2016, meeting a series of indicators and criteria across four categories that are evaluated by the organisation: characteristics of the trails and routes; information, signage and infrastructure along the paths; conservation and management of natural and cultural heritage; and public use of the trails.

“This recognition is great news that encourages us even more to continue working to offer the best services and for Mijas to remain a benchmark. It is everyone’s responsibility to care for and maintain our environment and public spaces. With distinctions like the Blue Trail Flag, the richness of our coastline is also highlighted”, the mayoress explained.

The mayoress also took the opportunity to mention the five Blue Flags awarded to the municipality, while highlighting that, for the first time, “we have received a sustainability award, not only for the preservation of the coastline’s fauna and flora, but also for the educational workshops organised to raise awareness among young people about the importance of environmental education.”

 

Characteristics

The Mijas Coastal Path is a pedestrian and cycle route that runs parallel to the Mediterranean Sea,  from La Cala to Marbella. In addition to acting as a connecting axis, it holds great scenic value, as it allows visitors to discover the local flora and fauna through the information panels placed at various points along the route.

In this regard, the councillor for Beaches, Daniel Gómez Teruel (PP), highlighted some of the criteria considered by ADEAC when awarding and renewing these distinctions, such as accessibility, the presence of information panels, the promotion of educational and environmental awareness activities, and underwater biodiversity. “We are very proud of this flag and everything it represents. We meet all the requirements, as confirmed by the external audit. The efforts made by all the sectors involved are commendable, we work 365 days a year to achieve this”, he stated. He also mentioned that ADEAC had congratulated the Town Hall for meeting all the evaluated indicators.

Award

Spain currently has these distinctions on 154 trails across various municipalities, covering more than a thousand kilometres. The Blue Trail award highlights the commitment of municipalities and public administrations to the recovery and promotion of trails and pathways that encourage environmental education and the sustainable enjoyment of our surroundings. The Blue Trail programme rewards and recognises the conservation and restoration of trails and paths, turning them into valuable resources for environmental education and interpretation, as well as for enjoying nature through recreational, sporting, and sustainable tourism activities.

 

Blue Trails is an exclusive international initiative by ADEAC, launched in 2011 as a pilot programme for twelve educational coastal trails that had the particular feature of linking beaches awarded with the Blue Flag. Over the past decade, it has been supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.

The association is also responsible for other well-known programmes such as Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment, and Green Key.

Uniformity

The mayoress of Mijas highlighted that the Town Hall continues working to ensure that all beaches along the Mijas coastline maintain the same level of uniformity. “It’s important to offer a cohesive image”, explained Mata, emphasising the importance of working together with beach Entrepreneurs because “strength comes in numbers, and we must always listen to and address their needs”.

For his part, the representative of the Mijas Beach Entrepreneurs Association, Carlos Morales, who also attended the Blue Trail flag-raising ceremony, stated that “this flag is the result of a job well done, and it’s another badge of honour for our coastline”. With the high season just around the corner, Morales stressed that “we must all work in the same direction so that Mijas continues to grow. We’re already at the top, but we have to aim even higher. There are more than 20 beach businesses, and on our part, we’re always 100 per cent ready to offer the very best”.

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