Nothing beats a dip in the sea on holiday, feeling the sun on your shoulders as you’re surrounded by nature. It's a mood we look forward to each year.
But you may think twice if there’s something less than desirable lurking in the water. E. coli and intestinal enterococci can enter the sea following heavy rainfall due to agricultural runoff or sewage overflows, potentially leaving you with a nasty skin, eye, or ear infection. Those with weakened immune systems, children, and the elderly need to be especially careful.
Some countries have better water quality standards than others. For tourists heading to one beautiful European island, it’s particularly good news. Which? carried out a study of European Environment Agency (EEA) water quality reports, which rank the cleanliness of water from excellent to poor.
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. 100% of the country's swim sites were rated excellent, and Greece came 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.
Even some of Cyprus’s busiest beaches have been praised for their cleanliness. Nissi Beach in the infamous 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”.
As much as Cyprus has been praised for its clean beaches and water, some have had a less positibe experience. 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.”
If you’re travelling in the EU and want to check whether a beach meets the standards for cleanliness, you can check the EEA’s interactive map. Those enjoying a coastal staycation in the UK can use the Safer Seas & Rivers Service app, which offers real-time alerts about water quality in your area. The free app covers 450 locations across the UK.
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, and had ‘significant’ levels of fecal bacteria.
Country - % of bathing waters rated excellent
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