Blue Flag Ecological Program (BAE)

Award that recognizes the effort and voluntary work of registered beach committees

Persona colocando un rotulo que dice protejamos nuestras playas

BAE aims to promote conservation and development in harmony with the protection of natural resources, climate action, and public health.

Origin

BAE was created as a response to strengthening public health and tourism activity. It is a program managed by several public and private sector entities.

Check the evaluation criteria

BAE Categories

Agriculture

Animal Welfare

Biodiversity

Educational Centers

Climate Change Mitigation

Climate Neutral

Communities

Sustainable Construction

Community Education

Ecological Ecclesiastical

Eco-Diplomatic

Protected Natural Areas

Special Events

Sustainable Homes

Watersheds

Sustainable Mobility

Municipalities

Beaches

Hygiene Promotion

Turn your environmental commitment into national recognition.

Download the procedure manual

Beach Category

The ICT, as the governing body for the Beaches category of the Blue Flag Ecological Program, assigns technical staff and resources to support the initiative and conduct on-site verification to ensure committees comply with program actions.

Recognition by stars is based on the degree of compliance with the parameters established by the program:

1 Star

Awarded to committees that meet between 90% and 100% of the basic parameters.

2+ Stars

Two to five stars are granted progressively, provided the committee meets the requirements of the previous star, continuing until reaching five stars.

Requirements to Apply

ICT Registration Form

Annual Work Plan

Final Report

Committees interested in participating must formalize their registration between January and March each year with the beach evaluation technical team.

They must also prepare work programs to be submitted no later than March, monitor actions, and send annual reports to the technical evaluation team in November.

National Blue Flag Ecological Commission

Technical Team

Beach Category

Jorge Retana

Coordinator

+(506) 2299-5944

María José Hernández

ICT Headquarters

+(506) 2299-5944

Angie Soto Sánchez

North and South Guanacaste

+506 2666-2976

Evaluation Criteria

Local committees wishing to participate in the BAE-Beaches Program must comply with the following general and specific parameters:

20%

Seawater Quality

20%

Environmental Education

10%

Drinking Water Quality

General
Parameters

Total: 100%

40%

Coastal Sanitary Quality

Safety

Administration

Specific Parameters

Download the guide to earn BAE stars

One Star: Beaches

Awarded for meeting 90% of the total points of the basic parameters.

Two Stars: Beaches

Awarded for meeting 95% of the total points of the basic parameters and conducting an evaluation by the BAE committee of signage criteria for strong waves, marine currents, or dangerous animals, as well as surveillance and lifeguard services.

personas en el bosque sacando tierra con una pala

personas en la playa recolectando basura

Three Stars: Beaches

Granted when the participating committee meets the requirements for two stars and the BAE committee evaluates showers, public restrooms, and maps identifying special zones such as tourist services.

Four Stars: Beaches

Awarded to local committees that meet the three-star requirements and are evaluated by the BAE committee on criteria related to solid waste separation and recycling, permanent surveillance and lifeguard services, existence of a local emergency committee, and an official regulatory plan and/or a management plan approved by MINAE.

Five Stars: Beaches

Granted when the four-star requirements are met and the beach includes: parking spaces for vehicles with persons with disabilities, special ramps or synthetic portable mats for beach access up to the berm, tourist police service, and participation in a quality seal program.

Special Stars

Golden Star

Recognizes the work of the BAE Beach Committee in identifying, managing, and taking action on land-based sources of pollution that negatively impact the beach and the surrounding community.

Pink Star

Recognizes the effort of BAE Beach Committees that receive training and implement actions to ensure coastal safety, possessing the knowledge to respond to dangerous animals, strong currents, and any other situation that may threaten the physical safety of visitors.

View special recognitions in PDF