This Mediterranean Country Has the Cleanest Waters in the World—and It's Famous for Its Crystal-clear Turquoise Beaches

Travel + Leisure

14-07-2025

The cleanest swimming water in the world is in Cyprus, according to this year's report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) that ranks the cleanest bathing water.
The report analyzes both inland and coastal swimming spots, Cyprus has ranked the best of the bunch, with 99.2 percent of its 123 tested waters rated as excellent, the highest possible score. The sites that were tested include popular beach resorts as well as quieter, less touristed bays.
Cyprus also ranked No. 1 in last year's report, with 97.6 percent of its tested waters ranked excellent, marking an improvement between last year and this year. Second place this year is Bulgaria, with 94 bodies of water tested and 97.9 percent ranked excellent. Third place goes to Greece, where 1729 bodies of water were tested and 97 percent received an excellent ranking.
Cyprus is an European Union country, but has been divided between its Greek-speaking south and Turkish-speaking north since 1974. The country is highly regarded for its many archaeological sites, traditional cuisine including halloumi cheese, and stunning island coastline.
'Enjoying time at the beach or swimming in lakes and rivers is for many a symbol of holidays and relaxation, as we look forward to the approaching summer,' Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure.
Bathing water quality at coastal sites had a higher percentage of excellent rankings than inland bathing waters. This is partially due to the fact that many of central Europe's inland bathing waters are small lakes, ponds, and rivers that have a low flow, making them susceptible to short-term pollution from heavy rain or drought in a way that coastal waters are not.
While many bathing sites in Europe ranked highly, 332 sites (or 1.5 percent) remain poor quality, though this is an improvement from 2009 when 1.9 percent were ranked poorly. Often problems arise from short-term pollution, which can happen during heavy rainfall that washes waste from sewage plants into the water. Estonia, Sweden, The Netherlands, and France all had poor quality bathing water for 3 percent or more of their tested waters. Sixty-seven out of 321 sites improved from poor to at least sufficient quality in the last year.