#2. Greece: 657 awards and the densest coastline in Europe
Greece held second place globally with 657 total awards, 624 of them beaches, and its performance held steady rather than growing. Given the size of its coastline relative to Spain’s, the density of certified beaches is arguably the highest in the world.
Crete alone took 154 flags, more than most entire countries manage, and Halkidiki in the north took 93. Those two regions between them account for well over a third of the national total.
The Greek result matters for a practical reason. With thousands of islands and an enormous number of small municipal beaches, the flag is one of the few reliable ways to tell in advance whether a stretch of sand has lifeguards, tested water and proper facilities rather than just a good photograph.