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Keen swimmers seeking the perfect bathing spot are more than likely to be in safe waters in Europe, at least when it comes to chemicals.

The latest European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, looking at 22,127 coastal, lake and river locations, rated 85% of bathing spots as excellent.

Cyprus was elected the best destination for bathers, with over 99% of its waters receiving the excellence score.

The country has consistently ranked in the top spots over the years, featuring heavenly sites like Aya Napa, Nissi Beach, Fig Tree Bay and Konnos Bay, among others.

Great news for those heading to the Black Sea this summer: Bulgaria jumped three spots and fared second with an excellence score of 98%.

Campers travelling to Bulgaria can enjoy the peaceful Krapets Beach or Kara Dere, known for the lush green surroundings, as well as Varvara for a more secluded vibe.

On a path to improve water quality: Why does Albania rank last?

The EEA report findings, however, are not quite as positive for Albania, one of the emerging tourism destinations in Europe. It features the lowest rate of waters deemed to be of excellent quality (16%) and the largest share of spots ranked as poor (23%).

The Agricultural University of Tirana says many residential areas with more than 5,000 people lacked wastewater treatment plants until recently, resulting in sewage being directly dumped into the sea or rivers.

In particular, “the sewage system in the city of Durrës has been a problem for both residents and ecosystems for years”, says the European Journal of Environment & Earth Sciences.

Plastics and microplastics pollution pose additional problems. After Montenegro and North Macedonia, Albania had the third-highest rate of plastic dumping into the water pro capita, at three kg per year. This is according to a 2020 report published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

With the help of the European Union and the World Bank, however, the country is taking significant steps and investing millions of euros to extend its water treatment infrastructure and improve river basin management, particularly in Divjakë, Durrës, Kavajë, Ksamil, Lezha, Orikum, Saranda, Spille, Velipoja and Vlorë, among others.

Banning bathing? Areas of France, Italy and Spain under scrutiny

The EEA interactive map shows numerous dangerous spots in southern-central areas of France and inland Corsica, while, in Italy, the largest concentrations appear in the south: north of Reggio Calabria as well as near Naples and Salerno.

The heavenly Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca isn’t completely immune either: Water at Playa Tamarells, Playa de Albercuix and Cala Egos was marked as poor.

Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 58 spots in the EU consistently ranked as poor.

Of these, 30 are located in Italy, 20 in France, two in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, and one each in Estonia and Spain.

“Of these, only five had managed to improve their water quality to at least a sufficient level by 2024,” says the EEA.

According to the EU’s Bathing Water Directive, bathing spots classified as poor for at least five consecutive years need to be subjected either to a permanent bathing ban or to a permanent advisory notice against bathing.

What to watch out for when choosing your bathing spot?

Swimmable waters must have low amounts of E. coli and intestinal enterococci, which are faecal bacteria originating from sewage and manure.

If swallowed, they can cause diarrhoea, stomach pain, urinary infections and other illnesses.

Cyanobacterial blooms—also known as the blue-green algae (though they’re not actual algae)—also indicate poor water quality.

They are naturally present in salty and freshwater, but if levels are too high, their toxins can cause nausea, muscle weakness, irritation and death of animals through inhalation or skin contact. In addition, this can result in unpleasant smells and poor water transparency (the “pea soup effect”).

Cyanobacterial blooms thrive on agricultural runoff and wastewater, so good sewage systems are fundamental to controlling the nutrients that fuel them.

Some symptoms of scarce water quality, however, are harder to detect by simply looking at the water, for example, in the case of chemical pollutants like mercury.

“These pollutants are not captured by bathing water monitoring even when they exceed legal thresholds,” says the EEA.

Therefore, it is always better to properly research your selected location than just assess quality with a visual examination.

Sea, rivers or lakes: Where can swimmers find the best water quality?

Coastal waters tend to be much cleaner than rivers and lakes, in general.

Over the past 15 years or so, the share of EU waters of excellent quality has remained between 81% and 89%, currently at 88.8%.

Lakes and rivers stayed between 60% and 82%, with scores declining slowly but steadily since 2022. The present rate is 78.3%.