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Media Release: Garden Route retains its place among leading Blue Flag destinations for 2026/27

Media Release: Garden Route retains its place among leading Blue Flag destinations for 2026/27

For Immediate Release
14 October 2026

Hessequa Municipality continues to set the benchmark for Blue Flag excellence countrywide after again achieving full Blue Flag status at all six of its designated swimming beaches.

The Garden Route is known globally for its quality coastal tourism and responsible environmental management. This year, 14 beaches across Hessequa, George and Bitou municipalities were awarded full Blue Flag status for the 2026/2027 season. Blue Flag status is an internationally recognised eco-label that highlights beaches meeting established criteria relating to water quality, environmental management, environmental education, safety and the provision of appropriate facilities.

In a proud moment, the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor, Marais Kruger, shared a few words by saying “congratulations to the participating municipalities, marina operators and tourism businesses on their achievements”.

“It is rarely seen in other parts of the country where a region comes together like the Garden Route to maintain environmental standards, protect coastal resources and provide quality experiences for visitors.”

“I am proud to form part of a region where these standards are upheld to ensure that residents and visitors can enjoy well-managed coastal destinations while contributing to the long-term sustainability of the Garden Route’s tourism economy,” Kruger concluded.

Hessequa achieves full status across all six its designated beaches

The municipality on the western border of the Garden Route, Hessequa, received special recognition for achieving full Blue Flag status at all six of its designated swimming beaches for the 2026/2027 season. These are:

  • Lappiesbaai
  • Gouritzmond
  • Stilbaai-West
  • Witsand
  • Jongensfontein
  • Preekstoel
Stilbaai West, one of the total of six beaches in Hessequa that achieved a Blue Flag Status.

Blue Flag beaches across the Garden Route

In addition to Hessequa’s six Blue Flag beaches, George Municipality has three beaches with full Blue Flag status, while Bitou Municipality has five.

George Municipality

  • Herold’s Bay
  • Victoria Bay
  • Wilderness

Bitou Municipality

  • The Dunes
  • The Waves
  • Singing Kettle
  • Nature’s Valley
  • Lookout Beach

Two additional beaches have been recognised under the Blue Flag pilot programme:

  • Leentjiesklop – George Municipality
  • Robberg V – Bitou Municipality

Pilot status provides an opportunity for participating beaches to work towards meeting the requirements for full Blue Flag status.

Recognition extends to marinas and tourism boats

The Garden Route’s coastal tourism offering also includes recognised marinas and tourism boats.

The following marinas have Blue Flag status:

  • Thesen Harbour Town Marina
  • Thesen Island Homeowners Marina, which has achieved Blue Flag status for 10 consecutive years and received recognition of excellence.

Offshore Adventures’ Robberg Express: Oceanic has also been recognised under the Blue Flag Tourism Boats programme.

Green Coast recognition for four sites

Four sites in the Garden Route have been recognised under the Green Coast programme for 2026:

  • Swartvlei Beach – Knysna
  • Nature’s Valley – Bitou Municipality, achieving five consecutive years of recognition
  • Gwaiing Beach – George Municipality
  • Kanon Beach – Mossel Bay
Nature’s Valley – Bitou Municipality, achieving five consecutive years of recognition

The Green Coast programme recognises coastal areas where communities and stakeholders work to protect natural coastal environments while promoting responsible use and sustainable tourism.

Feature Image: Hessequa – Stilbaai Preekstoel Beach (Supplied by Hessequa Tourism)

ENDS