Getting the chance to swim in crystal-clear waters is just one of the reasons Brits love their annual beach holiday.

Now a new report into water quality across Europe, carried out by the European Environment Agency and the European Commission, has identified the cleanest beaches on both the continent and our own UK shores.

The news that Cyprus, Croatia, Malta and Greece achieved an “excellent” grade for more than 90 per cent of their beaches will be welcomed by holidaymakers who don’t want their fun in the sun marred by poor quality coastlines.

Spain, Italy and Portugal also achieved excellent levels of water quality for 80 per cent of their beach sites. But the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Belgium, were the worst performers in the European report. Two-thirds of France’s beaches, which make up 16 per cent of bathing sites in the EU, achieved an excellent quality grade. The vast majority, 88 per cent, met the minimum mandatory water quality requirements. 

www.apa.az