Mexico came in at No.

But you shouldn’t settle for just any old beach.

Instead, you should head to one of the cleanest beaches in the world.

Playa Norte beach in mexico

Serene turquoise Isla Mujeres beach Playa Norte famous for emerald waters and sandy sea shore.Credit:Elijah-Lovkoff/Getty Images

And that may just be closer than you think.

But most importantly, “free access must be granted to the public.”

Find all the Blue Flag beaches around the globe atblueflag.global.