Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - The Banderas Bay region's natural attributes help it stand out as one of the best vacation destinations in the world, as was recently proven when Playa de Oro was awarded Blue Flag certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education's (FEE) international jury of environmentalists.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas in 48 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, North America and the Caribbean that work towards sustainable development through strict criteria dealing with Water Quality, Environmental Education and Information, Environmental Management, and Safety and Other Services.

Playa de Oro, a beautiful beach in Puerto Vallarta's Hotel Zone near the Crown Paradise and Hilton Hotels, has met the criteria to receive a Blue Flag, which will be awarded during the XII National Clean Beaches Meeting to be held at the Paradise Village Resort in Nuevo Vallarta in the near future.

Thanks to the municipal government's efforts to make Puerto Vallarta the best tourist destination on the Mexican Pacific, Playa de Oro will be the city's third beach to receive this important recognition, along with Playa Palmares and Playa Camarones, which will be re-certified for the 2016-2017 season on July 1, 2016.

Blue Flag certification lasts for a year, after which judges must re-visit each location to ensure that the criteria is met.

Six new beaches in Mexico will be Blue Flag certified by the international jury this year, adding to the 20 beaches and Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz, that currently fly the Blue Flag and have been re-certified for the 2016-2017 season. New awards in the area also include La Laguna de Santa María del Oro, in Nayarit.

These certifications are a great achievement for Puerto Vallarta, which is already one of the most attractive destinations for domestic and foreign tourism because of its beautiful coastline and responsible use of the ecosystem.