Cyprus has been named the European country with the cleanest bathing waters, with 100% of its swim sites rated excellent by the European Environment Agency (EEA). The finding comes from a study by consumer group Which?, which analysed EEA water quality reports ranking cleanliness from excellent to poor.
Top rankings and comparisons
Overall, around 85% of the EU's 22,000 bathing water sites were classified as excellent, and only 1.5% were of poor quality. Cyprus reached the top of the rankings for cleanest waters overall, with Greece coming in a close second at 97.1%. By contrast, the UK only had 66% of its coastal and inland waters rated as excellent, and 7% achieved a score of ‘poor’, showing a slight improvement in 2025.
At the bottom of the rankings was Albania, with only 16.8% of its waters rated as excellent, while 23% were found to be of poor quality, with ‘significant’ levels of fecal bacteria.
Popular beaches praised
Even some of Cyprus’s busiest beaches have been praised for their cleanliness. Nissi Beach in the Ayia Napa area has become a party spot, yet one TripAdvisor review called it a “beautiful beach with crystal clear water and amazing views”. However, a couple of reviews have pointed out that the water can have algae, which doesn’t look so pretty. Coral Bay in Paphos is another beach that can get extremely busy, and one review called it a “great beach (that is) easy to get to, (with) shallow water. A beautiful beach”.
Concerns and resources
Despite the high ratings, some visitors have reported issues. One visitor claimed: “The sea was absolutely full of tiny bits of shredded plastic, we were literally wading through it. Occasionally, a big bit of a bag or something as well.” For those travelling in the EU, the EEA’s interactive map allows beachgoers to check water quality standards. UK residents can use the Safer Seas & Rivers Service app, which offers real-time alerts about water quality at 450 locations across the UK.
E. coli and intestinal enterococci can enter the sea following heavy rainfall due to agricultural runoff or sewage overflows, potentially causing skin, eye, or ear infections. Those with weakened immune systems, children, and the elderly need to be especially careful.
European countries with the cleanest bathing waters
- Cyprus - 100%
- Greece - 97.1%
- Bulgaria - 96.9%
- Austria - 96.5%
- Luxembourg - 94.1%
- Denmark - 92.4%
- Germany - 90.9%
- Italy - 89.8%
- Malta - 88.5%
- Lithuania - 86.7%
- Spain - 86.6%
- Croatia - 86.2%
