Beachy getaways are mostly about stretching out on the sand and catching some rays, but for those of us who love a paddle, a snorkel or a good snap for the ‘gram, it’s disappointing when you rock up and waters are a little murkier than how they looked online.
Well, anyone headed to Croatia certainly won’t have that problem, as a new report has revealed the Balkan country has the cleanest coastal bathing waters in Europe.
A report released by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, which surveyed the water of all 27 EU states plus Albania and Switzerland, showed that 99.1 percent of Croatia’s coasts have ‘excellent’ water quality – that’s 886 out of 894 sites tested.
But what actually constitutes excellent water? Well, under the Bathing Water Directive according to Connecting The Region, waters are assessed using microbiological data to classify them as poor, sufficient, good or excellent.
The runners-up were Greece, Cyprus and Austria. The report also revealed that Europe’s coastal waters tend to be cleaner than inland waters.
So, now you know which coastlines have excellent water hygiene, check out the best beaches in Croatia and the best ones in Europe. For more info on Europe’s best places to swim, this beach was recently revealed to have the world’s bluest water, and these spots are the least polluted in the continent.
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