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The Blue Trails programme has been running since 2011, thanks to the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition. Since then, the number of municipalities that have educational coastal trails that are candidates to be recognized as blue trails has been increasing. The blue trails are itineraries that link, cross or start from beaches or ports, transformed into valuable resources for environmental interpretation and the enjoyment of nature and have been awarded the Blue Flag. In 2020, 68 blue trails were awarded, present in 66 municipalities belonging to 19 different provinces.

This program aims to recognize the effort of the municipalities to maintain and consolidate the good state of conservation and maintenance of coastal roads in which the conservation and environmental recovery of natural spaces is promoted, together with the development of awareness and dissemination activities. In addition, this initiative aims to promote the sustainable development of coastal areas, the diversification of the sun and beach tourist offer, inviting you to discover the natural and heritage values of the coast and those inland areas, close to the coast, which have many attractions for the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly tourist activities.

Finally, the aim of the programme is to form a wide network of educational coastal trails that create a solid link between neighbouring municipalities, reinforcing cooperation between them. The blue trails promote the sustainable use and management of the coastal environment and its surroundings, promoting cooperation between the tourism and environmental sectors, with the goal of consolidating the “Blue Path” quality label as an award that is recognized and valued to the same extent as the Blue Flag for beaches. sustainable marinas and tourist boats.

The general objective of this project has been to recognize and reward the efforts made by coastal municipalities in the enhancement of their educational coastal trails and in the adoption of management measures to communicate the environmental and heritage values of the coast and its resources.

The specific objectives were as follows:

• Recognise and reward the adoption of management measures that improve the state of conservation of the trails and communicate environmental and heritage values.
• To increase knowledge of the various initiatives, studies and conservation and awareness-raising work carried out in protected areas and the Natura 2000 Network through which the blue trails run.
• To disseminate and communicate to society as a whole the environmental and heritage values of the blue trails.
• To inform the municipalities awarded with the Blue Flag and society as a whole about the development and objectives included in the Blue Trails programme.
• To validate and evaluate the suitability of the candidate coastal trails to the criteria that govern the granting of the Blue Path award.
• Advise the municipalities and correct technical aspects detected in the candidacies and during the development of the control visits.
• Increase the participation of municipalities that present candidacies to the Blue Path.
• Establish a platform to collect information regarding the candidate trails and the environmental and heritage values they host.
• Inform and collect information on the environmental education activities carried out on the trails.

• Launch and dissemination of the Blue Trails 2020 Campaign through its different channels and communication to interested municipalities.
• Carrying out control visits to the blue trails of those towns that have obtained recognition in the 2020 season, in order to ensure compliance with the necessary conditions to obtain the award.
• Study and analysis of each of the candidatures submitted to the Blue Path award. Preparation of correction reports to advise and communicate to municipal officials the improvements in their candidacies. An inventory of the various initiatives and studies carried out in registered Natura 2000 Network areas that cross the blue trails is carried out.
• Celebration of the Blue Path Jury, in which the candidacies were examined by experts in different fields.
• A press conference was held to announce the final list of award-winning beaches, ports and blue trails, also writing a press release that was disseminated to different media.
• Organization of the award ceremonies in the different Autonomous Communities awarded with Blue Trails, either in person, online or by sending the diplomas directly to the corresponding municipalities.
• Dissemination and communication of the project, to publicize its achievements and the various stages it goes through from the launch of the candidacy to the control visits. The dissemination and communication plan also incorporates the updating of the contents of the interpretive guides of the blue trails.

The project has managed to obtain the objectives and results expected at the beginning, by carrying out the proposed works and activities. In general, and despite the extraordinary situation caused by COVID-19, the actions carried out have served to promote the connection of the network of Blue Flag sites through trails that help to value natural spaces of cultural and heritage interest near beaches or marinas that have the Blue Flag. They have also made it possible to promote the participation of new coastal municipalities that are candidates for Blue Trails, to validate and evaluate the candidatures and subsequent on-site inspections to assess the degree of compliance with the criteria for granting the award, to offer management and communication tools to the municipalities that allow them to improve the quality of the Blue Trails and to inform the population about their existence for their use and enjoyment. A document has also been prepared, a new interpretation guide for blue trails 2020, as well as the update of the website, including all the Blue Trails awarded in 2020 for their enhancement and communication to the general public.