Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - The natural attributes in Puerto Vallarta help it stand out as one of the best vacation destinations in the world, as has been proven by the three public beaches (Playa Palmares, Playa Camarones and Playa de Oro) in Puerto Vallarta that have been awarded Blue Flag certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education's (FEE) international jury of environmentalists.

On Thursday, May 17, 2017, a group of Puerto Vallarta government officials held a meeting to discuss strategies for getting three additional local beaches (Amapas and both Conchas Chinas Beaches) Global Blue Flag certified.

A voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas in 48 countries, the Blue Flag works towards sustainable development of beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with Water Quality, Environmental Education and Information, Environmental Management, and Safety & Other Services. Beaches are awarded the Blue Flag based on compliance with 32 attributes within these four primary categories.

The water quality standards have been met at all three of these beaches, but some mandatory aspects in other categories are still pending:

• A manned lifeguard tower
• Public restrooms
• Garbage cans and collection
• Well-maintained and safe public access
• Public Safety with police presence

The local government has all of the above organized to some level. The critical need at the moment is raising funds to begin the process for the Certification. The cost of the registration process for each beach is approximately $150,000 MN or $8200 USD, so the officials are reaching out for help from homeowners who live along these beaches, along with developers, realtors, rental agents and anyone who lives in Puerto Vallarta and cares about the town and its beaches.

For more information, or to learn how you can help, feel free to contact any of the officials who are working on this project.

Eduardo Garcia - Jefe de Fomento Turístico - eduardo.pvr(at)gmail.com, 322-133-4951
Jonathan Nacar - Supervisor de Ecología - 322-134-5991
Sergio Garcia - Coordinador de la Subdireccion Ecología - 322-137-7045
Mario Sanchez - Subdirecion de Ecología