PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay is once again proudly flying the Blue Flag on six of its beaches, tying with Hessequa for the second most beaches not only in the Western Cape, but the whole country.

The small coastal holiday town received Blue Flag status for its beaches last week and was runner-up to Cape Town, which secured 10 sites.

Plett also outshone other major coastal centres including Nelson Mandela Bay (three Blue Flag sites) and Kwazulu-Natal's Ray Nkonyeni (five). Plett's Blue Flag beaches this year include Robberg 5 (12th consecutive time); Keurboomstrand (10th time); Nature's Valley (ninth time); Lookout Beach (seventh time); The Dunes (fifth time) and The Singing Kettle beach (fourth time).

Local operator Offshore Adventures added to the awards after both its vessels, the Robberg Express and Oceanic Express, received Blue Flag accreditation.

This comes after Plettenberg Bay also, after the 11th nomination, won a World Travel Awards title as Africa's leading beach destination last month.

"It's exciting times for Plett''s beaches," said Plett Tourism acting chief executive Patty Butterworth.

"As a world-class destination, it is important that our beaches remain pristine and safe for visitors. We are very proud of the recognition that goes with these two accolades. We would also like to share this excitement with some of the other key role players who are involved, namely the Bitou Municipal beach development team, our marine activities and our conservation entities who are committed to the upkeep of our most valuable assets."

This year none of Knysna's beaches received Blue Flag status. Thesen Island received two Blue Flags in the marina category.

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