As the summer nears, there is good news for beach lovers in Lazio.

The region has retained its five “blue flag” beaches from last year, with Anzio, Circeo, Sabaudia, Sperlonga and the Cala Nave beach on the island of Ventotene, being awarded the coveted status.

Not so lucky was Gaeta which has failed to retrieve the blue flag it lost in 2011.

The recognition comes from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which assigns the flags to beaches with "excellent" water quality. In addition the agency takes into consideration the beach’s waste management, recycling, the extent of its pedestrian and bicycle paths and green areas, and the presence of lifeguards.

A total of 135 beaches across Italy were awarded blue flags this year, up from 113 five years ago.

The regions with the most blue flag beaches are Liguria (20), Le Marche (18) and Tuscany (17).

For a guide to beaches in the greater Rome area see Wanted in Rome article.