These are the 15 Calvià beaches awarded with the Q for Tourist Quality

Calvià renews its 15 Q for Tourist Quality flags, which certify the excellence of services on its beaches. Once again, the municipality consolidates its position as the leading destination in the Balearic Islands and the third in Spain in terms of the number of Q flags awarded by ICTES.

This Monday, July 21, the new flags were raised. The town council chose Es Carregador beach (Palmanova) to present these certifications at an event presided over by the Mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, and the Director General of the Spanish Institute for Tourist Quality and Sustainability (ICTES), Fernando Fraile.

Mayor Amengual stated, “We have more and better beaches, which places us as a benchmark tourist destination and also a leisure spot for residents. In recent years, we have made great efforts to improve services, making them more sustainable and accessible to everyone. Our philosophy is to turn beaches into open-air spaces for coexistence, they are our parks.” For example, the swimming area has been extended to 200 meters and motorized activities have been banned on all beaches except Magaluf. More and better access points for people with disabilities have been created, saltwater foot showers have been installed to reduce potable water consumption, and capacity on the six main beaches has been monitored through the Smart Tourist Destination (DTI) plan.

“A few days ago,” Amengual added, “we learned that the occupancy rate on our main beaches averages just 20% of their maximum capacity. This disproves the narrative of overcrowding. Calvià’s beaches offer the best services and the most space for both visitors and locals. It’s essential to understand that everything we offer tourists must also be accessible to residents.”

Fernando Fraile, Director General of ICTES, congratulated Calvià City Council for its commitment to certified Tourist Quality, “which reflects the rigor applied in the design and management of services and guarantees the proper implementation of a management system and compliance with strict international quality standards.” He emphasized that “the Q mark is a tourism promotion tool that provides prestige, differentiation, and reliability, with a significant impact on consumer perception and recognition by public administrations.”

Fraile noted that the growing number of Q and Sustainability (S) flags across Spain, now at 524 certified beaches, “says a lot about how public managers care for these essential resources. They go beyond self-declared good practices by submitting their facilities and services to independent audits.”

Among the 123 certified coastal municipalities in Spain, Marbella (Málaga) leads with 19 Q certifications, followed by Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) with 16, and Calvià with 15. The Mallorcan municipality renews all its flags, once again ranking third in Spain. The 15 beaches certified with the Q for Tourist Quality are: Buganvilia, Illetes Balneario, Cala Comtessa, Portals Nous, l'Oratori, Es Carregador, Palmanova, Son Maties, Magaluf, Cala Vinyes, Ses Penyes Rotges (El Toro), Santa Ponça, La Romana, Torà, and Palmira, the last three located in Peguera.

Only the Q for Tourist Quality flags are the result of certification based on UNE and ISO standards, the only nationally and internationally recognized bodies authorized to develop standards for any economic activity sector. To obtain these certifications, a rigorous process verified by independent auditors must be followed, meaning third-party audits with demanding criteria must be passed.

For these 15 Calvià beaches to fly the Q for Tourist Quality flag, they had to meet the requirements of the UNE-ISO 13009 international quality standard, agreed upon by nearly one hundred countries, to ensure the highest quality in service delivery and proper management of public-use facilities: cleaning services and selective waste collection, safety, lifeguard and first aid systems, tourist information services, beach access, sanitary facilities, leisure establishments, and more.

The ICTES (Spanish Institute for Tourist Quality and Sustainability) is a business association representing all subsectors of Spanish tourism, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Its governing bodies also include the Ministry of Tourism (via the State Secretariat for Tourism), autonomous communities, municipalities, and provinces (through the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces – FEMP).