Leia em português: Praia de Lages conquista a Bandeira Azul / Leer en español: La playa de Lages recibe la Bandera Azul
Published on October 7, 2026.
Lages Beach (Praia de Lages), in Porto de Pedras, has received the international Blue Flag certification for the 2026/2027 season. Local news outlets also spell it Praia da Lage. With the award, it joins Patacho Beach, which renewed its certification, and Porto de Pedras becomes the only municipality in Alagoas with two certified beaches. Both are on the Milagres Ecological Route, on the state’s north coast, about 127 km (79 miles) from Maceió.
The confirmation reached the Porto de Pedras city hall on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
What the Blue Flag is and how a beach earns it
The Blue Flag is an international environmental certification awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an environmental education organization active in more than 80 countries. In Brazil, the program is coordinated by the Instituto Ambientes em Rede. The award covers beaches, marinas and tourist boats.
Who applies. For beaches, the applicant is the city government, which is the legally responsible party. For the 2026/2027 season, applications opened in April.
How the evaluation works. In broad terms, the calendar is:
- April: city governments apply.
- May: a technical team reviews the reports.
- June: the national jury meets to approve candidates.
- September: the international jury makes the final decision, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- November: the flags are handed out at a ceremony and the season begins.
What is required. For beaches, the program lists 34 criteria, all mandatory, in four areas:
- Environmental education: educational activities for beachgoers and information about water quality and local ecosystems.
- Water quality: tests throughout the season, with at least five samples and no more than 30 days between them. Water must stay within limits for bacteria such as E. coli and enterococci.
- Environmental management: a clean beach at all times, waste collection, sanitary facilities, a management committee and protection of sensitive areas.
- Safety and services: lifeguards, first aid, an emergency plan and accessibility.
Anyone who wants to check all 34 criteria, one by one, can read the full list on the Bandeira Azul Brasil website (in Portuguese).
The award is renewed every year. It is valid per season and depends on the beach continuing to meet the criteria. In the 2025/2026 season, two beaches in Brazil lost their certification for non-compliance.
To give a sense of the program’s size: last season, Brazil had 60 flags, 50 beaches and 10 marinas. Alagoas had one, Patacho, which was the first beach in the state to receive the award, in 2021.
A record for the Northeast
In the 2025/2026 season, only three municipalities in Brazil’s Northeast had certified beaches: Porto de Pedras, in Alagoas, and Camaçari and Salvador, in Bahia. With Lages, Porto de Pedras now has two.
What it means for visitors
In practice, the award signals that the beach goes through environmental and service assessments. For visitors, that usually means information about water quality, basic facilities and attention to preservation.
Lages is a long, quiet beach lined with coconut groves, with few beach huts and guesthouses. The region also includes São Miguel dos Milagres, Japaratinga and other beaches on the route, which makes a multi-day itinerary easy to plan.
The official flag raising in Porto de Pedras is expected by December 15. The beaches can already be visited as usual.
If you are thinking of buying or investing in the region
At Andaza, we follow the north coast of Alagoas closely, because many people ask us about beach properties on the Milagres Route. The news is good for a simple reason: it reinforces the image of a preserved region and gives Porto de Pedras more national and international visibility.
The award is an indicator of environmental quality and helps position the Milagres Route as a destination for those looking for calm, swimmable, safe and well-preserved beaches all year round. For anyone considering buying in the region, it is a point in the destination’s favor. The decision, of course, also depends on reviewing each property’s documentation, access and infrastructure.
To learn more about the region, read our article on EntreÁguas Milagres, beachfront homes at Patacho Beach and browse the properties available in Porto de Pedras (in Portuguese).
Want to talk about properties on Alagoas’s north coast? Message us on WhatsApp: +55 82 98190-8609.
Frequently asked questions
Which beaches in Alagoas have the Blue Flag?
Patacho Beach and Lages Beach (also spelled Lage), both in Porto de Pedras, for the 2026/2027 season. Patacho was the first in the state to receive the award, in 2021.
Where is Lages Beach?
In Porto de Pedras, on the north coast of Alagoas, on the Milagres Ecological Route, about 127 km (79 miles) from Maceió.
When will the flags be delivered?
Delivery is scheduled for November 6, in Florianópolis, and the flag raising in Porto de Pedras is expected by December 15.
What is the Blue Flag?
It is an international environmental certification, awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education, that evaluates beaches, marinas and tourist boats. For beaches, there are 34 mandatory criteria in four areas: environmental education, water quality, environmental management, and safety and services.
How does a beach earn the Blue Flag?
The city government registers the beach, usually in April. A technical team reviews the reports, the national jury approves the candidates and the international jury makes the final decision. The award is renewed every season, and a beach can lose it if it stops meeting the criteria.
Sources
- Porto de Pedras city government, reported by Tribuna Hoje, AL1, Cada Minuto and AMA, on October 6 and 7, 2026.
- About the award: Bandeira Azul Brasil, criteria for beaches and Agência Brasil, calendar and program figures.
- Beach photos: Otávio Nogueira, via Wikimedia Commons, license CC BY 2.0.
