Among the many outstanding international, ecological honors bestowed on Huatulco, Mexico through the years - including Earth Check Gold certification in 2010 - another has just been added to the list.

This month Playa Chahue was recognized by the nonprofit Foundation for Environmental Education with the Blue Flag certification. Beaches and marinas worldwide are awarded the honor when voluntary compliance has been met with the programs 32 strict environmental criteria, broadly categorized in the key areas of:

• Environmental Education and Information
  
• Water Quality
  
• Environmental Management
  
• Safety and Services

Now in its twenty-fifth year of issuing awards to beaches of only the highest quality Blue Flag has certified more than 3,100 beaches and 625 marinas worldwide in countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and the Caribbean. This is the first time, however, that Mexico has achieved the distinction..

A total of five Mexico beaches were given the award at an announcement made in Copenhagen, Denmark. In an official statement following the event, Mexico's Tourism Secretariat said, “This shows that Mexico is prepared to compete on an equal footing with other world class destinations.”  

The Blue Flag program is supported by such prestigious organizations as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Environment Programme of the United Nations (UNEP), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Lifesaving (ILS), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Union for Coastal Conservation (EUCC), the International Council of Associations of Port Industry (ICOMIA) and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The awarded beaches in Mexico were announced as

Playa Chahué is centrally located in the Bahias de Huatulco area, near the town of La Crucesita. A favorite among both locals and tourists it is revered as the perfect beach for  weddings, beach sports, relaxing, exercising and yoga, sunbathing, beach parties or simply walking along the especially white and comfortable sand. At about 2000 feet long, the beach also holds several natural rock formations adding to its mystique. One called "The Sleeping Giant" is formed by the hills reaching into the sea and, which at the distance, looks like a man lying in the ocean. Another rock formation is called "The turtle with a crocodile's head" and is a favorite for bids in nesting season.

The Blue Flag certification is particularly meaningful to Huatulco Prime Properties as the Sueño del Mar real estate development is located just off Playa Chahué in Huatulco where two elite condos are currently available. We can only imagine this adding to the already world-class appeal and value of the area and our congratulations to the entire community.

On Friday July 12, 2013 a ceremony was held to officially award Chahué Beach and officially raise the Blue Flag in the presence of the governor of Oaxaca Gabino Cué Monteagudo.

Established by the Mexican government in the 1980s, Huatulco is seen as the emblem of a new era in tropical resort communities. Unlike older and more established destinations that have suffered over time from over-development and pollution, the nine bays and 36 beaches of Huatulco were immediately placed under some of the most conscientious environmental restrictions in the world to ensure not only its long term sustainability, but to protect its pristine, unspoiled nature for generations to come. The Huatulco community, both local and international developers, has fully embraced the sustainability agenda and continued only to improve upon it. This led to Huatulco becoming the first community in the world to win the Earth Check Gold award for sustainable tourism.

The new flight operates between June 7 and August 16, 2013, targeting what has traditionally been the Huatulco low-season. This too is also seen as new, as the effort seeks clearly to bring more year-round tourists to the area.

Those of us who have enjoyed the wonder of Huatulco for a long time look forward to seeing new faces from California, Nevada, Arizona and other areas. We're sure you will agree that Huatulco is "close to Heaven."