Editing Beach (section)

==Use for recreation==

===History===
[[File:Llandudno.jpeg|thumb|left|A popular Victorian seaside resort. [[Llandudno]], 1856]]

Even in Roman times, wealthy people spent their free time on the coast. They also built large villa complexes with bathing facilities (so-called maritime villas) in particularly beautiful locations. Excavations of Roman architecture can still be found today, for example on the [[Amalfi Coast]] near Naples and in [[Barcola]] in Trieste.<ref>Michael Kassar: Villa Maritima. Elitenarchitektur und Luxus am Beispiel antiker Meeresvillen (2014); Schiavo, The monuments of the Amalfi coast, Milan-Rome, 1941, pp. 175; Zeno Saracino: "Pompei in miniatura": la storia di "Vallicula" o Barcola. In: Trieste All News. 29 September 2018.</ref>

The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the aristocracy, who began to frequent the seaside as well as the then fashionable spa towns, for recreation and health.<ref name="The business of tourism">{{cite book|last1=Holloway|first1=J. Christopher|title=The business of tourism|last2=Taylor|first2=Neil|publisher=Pearson Education|year=2006|isbn=0-273-70161-4|page=29}}</ref> One of the earliest such seaside resorts, was [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]] in [[Yorkshire]] during the 1720s; it had been a fashionable spa town since a stream of acidic water was discovered running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town in the 17th century.<ref name="The business of tourism"/> The first rolling [[bathing machine]]s were introduced by 1735.

[[File:Brighton, the front and the chain pier seen in the distance.jpg|thumb|''Brighton, The Front and the Chain Pier Seen in the Distance'', early 19th century]]
The opening of the resort in [[Brighton]] and its reception of [[patronage|royal patronage]] from [[King George IV]], extended the seaside as a resort for health and pleasure to the much larger [[London]] market, and the beach became a centre for upper-class pleasure and frivolity. This trend was praised and artistically elevated by the new [[Romanticism|romantic]] ideal of the picturesque landscape; [[Jane Austen]]'s unfinished novel ''[[Sanditon]]'' is an example of that. Later, [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]]'s long-standing patronage of the [[Isle of Wight]] and [[Ramsgate]] in [[Kent]] ensured that a seaside residence was considered as a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to afford more than one home.

====Seaside resorts for the working class====
[[File:The promenade, Blackpool, Lancashire, England, ca. 1898.jpg|thumb|left|[[Blackpool]] [[Promenade]] {{circa|1898}}]]

The extension of this form of leisure to the middle and working classes began with the development of the [[railway]]s in the 1840s, which offered cheap fares to fast-growing resort towns. In particular, the completion of a [[Blackpool Branch Line|branch line]] to the small seaside town of [[Blackpool]] from [[Poulton-le-Fylde railway station|Poulton]] led to a sustained economic and demographic boom. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, led entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Blackpool History|publisher=Blackpool Tourist Office|url=http://www.blackpooltourism.com/resources/files/2_Blackpool%20History.pdf|url-status=dead|access-date=2007-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705082737/http://www.blackpooltourism.com/resources/files/2_Blackpool%20History.pdf|archive-date=2007-07-05}}</ref>

The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire [[cotton mill]] owners of closing the factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as [[wakes week]]s. Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the summer. A prominent feature of the resort was the [[promenade]] and the [[pleasure pier]]s, where an eclectic variety of performances vied for the people's attention. In 1863, the [[North Pier, Blackpool|North Pier]] in Blackpool was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for upper class visitors. [[Central Pier, Blackpool|Central Pier]] was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor.<ref name="Rough597">{{harvnb|Andrews|2002|p=597}}.</ref>

Many of the popular beach resorts were equipped with [[bathing machine]]s, because even the all-covering [[swimsuit|beachwear]] of the period was considered immodest. By the end of the century the English coastline had over 100 large resort towns, some with populations exceeding 50,000.<ref>{{cite web|last=Walton|first=John K.|title=The seaside resort: a British cultural export|url=http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/Sea/articles/walton.html|publisher=Department of Humanities, University of Central Lancashire}}</ref>

====Expansion around the world====
[[File:Monte Carlo Casino seaside facade before 1878 - Bonillo 2004 p113.jpg|thumb|Seaside facade at [[Monte Carlo]], 1870s]]
[[File:The Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps during the First World War, France Q11512.jpg|thumb|British beachgoers at [[Le Touquet]], France, 1918]]
The development of the seaside resort abroad was stimulated by the well-developed English love of the beach. The [[French Riviera]] alongside the [[Mediterranean]] had already become a popular destination for the British upper class by the end of the 18th century. In 1864, the first railway to [[Nice]] was completed, making the Riviera accessible to visitors from all over Europe. By 1874, residents of foreign enclaves in Nice, most of whom were British, numbered 25,000. The coastline became renowned for attracting the royalty of Europe, including [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] and [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]].<ref>Michael Nelson, ''Queen Victoria and the Discovery of the Riviera'', Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2007.</ref>

Continental European attitudes towards [[gambling]] and [[nakedness]] tended to be more lax than in Britain, so British and French entrepreneurs were quick to exploit the possibilities. In 1863, [[Charles III, Prince of Monaco|Charles III]], Prince of [[Monaco]], and [[François Blanc]], a French businessman, arranged for [[steamship]]s and carriages to take visitors from Nice to Monaco, where large luxury hotels, gardens and casinos were built. This area of Monaco was then renamed [[Monte Carlo]] after prince Charles III.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monaco |url=https://www.strasbourg-europe.eu/monaco-en/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Centre d'Information sur les Institutions Européennes}}</ref>

Commercial sea bathing spread to the [[United States]] and parts of the [[British Empire]] by the end of the 19th century. The first public beach in the United States was [[Revere Beach]], which opened in 1896. During that same time, [[Henry Flagler]] developed the [[Florida East Coast Railway]], which linked the coastal sea resorts developing at [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], FL and [[Miami Beach]], FL, to winter travelers from the northern [[United States]] and [[Canada]] on the [[East Coast Railway]]. By the early 20th century surfing was developed in [[Hawaii]] and [[Australia]]; it spread to [[southern California]] by the early 1960s. By the 1970s cheap and affordable air travel led to the growth of a truly global tourism market which benefited areas such as the [[Mediterranean]], [[Australia]], [[South Africa]], and the coastal [[Sun Belt]] regions of the [[United States]].

===Today===
[[File:Barceloneta 2007.jpg|thumb|Tourists at the Mediterranean Sea beach of [[Barcelona]], 2007]]
[[File:Sardinia Cala Brandinchi.jpg|thumb|Beach in [[San Teodoro, Sardinia|San Teodoro]], [[Sardinia]], Italy]]

Beaches can be popular on warm sunny days. In the [[Victorian era]], many popular [[Seaside resort|beach resorts]] were equipped with [[bathing machine]]s because even the all-covering [[swimsuit|beachwear]] of the period was considered immodest.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bishop|first=Jo|title=Remembering the days of bathing machines|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/bathing_machines.shtml|website=BBC News}}</ref> This social standard still prevails in many Muslim countries. At the other end of the spectrum are [[Toplessness|topfree beaches]] and [[nude beach]]es where clothing is optional or not allowed. In most countries social norms are significantly different on a beach in hot weather, compared to adjacent areas where similar behavior might not be tolerated and might even be prosecuted.{{Clarify|date=March 2019}}

In more than thirty countries in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Costa Rica, South America and the [[Caribbean]], the best recreational beaches are awarded [[Blue Flag beach|Blue Flag]] status, based on such criteria as water quality and safety provision. Subsequent loss of this status can have a severe effect on tourism revenues.

Beaches are often dumping grounds for [[waste]] and litter, necessitating the use of [[beach cleaner]]s and other cleanup projects. More significantly, many beaches are a discharge zone for untreated sewage in most [[underdeveloped countries]]; even in [[developed countries]] beach closure is an occasional circumstance due to [[sanitary sewer overflow]]. In these cases of marine discharge, waterborne disease from [[feces|fecal]] [[pathogen]]s and contamination of certain marine species are a frequent outcome.

===Artificial beaches===
Some beaches are artificial; they are either permanent or temporary (For examples, see [[Copenhagen]], [[Beaches of Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], [[Manila Bay Beach|Manila]], [[Monaco]], [[Nottingham]], [[Paris]], [[Rotterdam]], [[List of beaches in Singapore|Singapore]], [[Port of Tianjin#Dongjiang Port Area|Tianjin]], and [[Toronto]]).

The soothing qualities of a beach and the pleasant environment offered to the beachgoer are replicated in artificial beaches, such as "beach style" pools with zero-depth entry and wave pools that recreate the natural waves pounding upon a beach. In a [[zero-entry swimming pool|zero-depth entry pool]], the bottom surface slopes gradually from above water down to depth. Another approach involves so-called [[urban beach]]es, a form of public park becoming common in large cities. Urban beaches attempt to mimic natural beaches with fountains that imitate surf and mask city noises, and in some cases can be used as a play park.

[[Beach nourishment]] involves pumping sand onto beaches to improve their health. Beach nourishment is common for major beach cities around the world; however the beaches that have been nourished can still appear quite natural and often many visitors are unaware of the works undertaken to support the health of the beach. Such beaches are often not recognized by consumers as artificial. A famous example of beach nourishment came with the replenishment of [[Waikiki|Waikīkī Beach]] in [[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]], where sand from [[Manhattan Beach, California|Manhattan Beach]], [[California]] was transported via ship and barge throughout most of the 20th century in order to combat Waikiki's erosion problems. [[The Surfrider Foundation]] has debated the merits of [[artificial reef]]s with members torn between their desire to support natural coastal environments and opportunities to enhance the quality of surfing waves. Similar debates surround [[beach nourishment]] and [[snow cannon]] in sensitive environments.

===Restrictions on access===
{{further|Freedom to roam}}
Public access to beaches is restricted in some parts of the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=?|url=http://www.cityofevanston.org/departments/parks/beach_season.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502161310/http://www.cityofevanston.org/departments/parks/beach_season.shtml|archive-date=2 May 2008|access-date=13 September 2010|publisher=City of Evanston}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite web|title=?|url=http://www.cityofevanston.org/departments/parks/beach_dog.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804073912/http://www.cityofevanston.org/departments/parks/beach_dog.shtml|archive-date=4 August 2008|access-date=13 September 2010|publisher=City of Evanston}}</ref> For example, most beaches on the [[Jersey Shore]] are restricted to people who can purchase [[beach tag]]s.<ref name="visitnjshore">Amodio, Aimee. [http://www.visitnjshore.com/new-jersey-shore-guide/what-are-beach-tags.aspx What are Beach Tags] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213172406/http://www.visitnjshore.com/new-jersey-shore-guide/what-are-beach-tags.aspx |date=13 December 2013 }}, ''visitnjshore.com''.</ref> Many beaches in Indonesia, both private and public, require admission fees.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pramesti |first1=Tri Jata Ayu |title=Mengapa Berwisata ke Pantai Harus Membayar? |url=https://www.hukumonline.com/klinik/a/mengapa-berwisata-ke-pantai-harus-membayar-lt5326366ae990e |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=hukumonline.com |date=7 May 2015 |language=id}}</ref>
Some beaches also restrict dogs for some periods of the year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 56 Cornwall beaches where you'll be banned from taking your dogs from Easter &#124; Cornwall Live|url=http://www.cornwalllive.com/here-are-the-beaches-where-dogs-are-banned-or-restricted-in-cornwall/story-30258077-detail/story.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411212409/http://www.cornwalllive.com/here-are-the-beaches-where-dogs-are-banned-or-restricted-in-cornwall/story-30258077-detail/story.html|archive-date=11 April 2017|access-date=19 May 2017}}</ref>

==== Private beaches ====
{{main|Intertidal zone#Legal issues}}

Some jurisdictions make all beaches public by law. Some allow private ownership (for example by owners of abutting land or neighborhood associations) to the mean high [[tide]] line or mean low tide line. In some jurisdictions, the public has a general [[easement]] to use privately-owned beach land for certain purposes. Signs are sometimes posted where public access ends. 

In some places, such as Florida, it is not always clear which parts of a beach are public or private.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Eger|first=Isaac|date=3 September 2020|title=Who Owns Florida's Beaches?|url=https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2020/09/who-owns-florida-beaches|access-date=2020-09-15|website=Sarasota Magazine}}</ref>

==== Public beaches ====
The [[Revere Beach|first public beach]] in the United States opened on 12 July 1896, in the town of [[Revere, Massachusetts]], with over 45,000 people attending on the opening day. The beach was run bay the [[Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston|Metropolitan Parks Commission]] and the new beach had a bandstand, public bathhouses, shade pavilions, and lined by a broad boulevard that ran along the beach.<ref>{{cite web|title=Revere Beach Opens|date=12 July 2005 |url=https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/revere-beach-opens.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204120323/https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/revere-beach-opens.html|archive-date=2019-02-04|access-date=2019-07-12|publisher=Mass Moments}}</ref>

Public access to beaches is protected by law in the U.S. state of Oregon, thanks to a 1967 state law, the Oregon Beach Bill, which guaranteed public access from the Columbia River to the California state line, "so that the public may have the free and uninterrupted use".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oregon Beach Bill, Oregon Coast|url=http://theoregoncoast.info/BeachBill.html|access-date=13 December 2015|website=theoregoncoast.info}}</ref> Public access to beaches in Hawaii (other than those owned by the U.S. federal government) is also protected by state law.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Are All Beaches in Hawaii Public? |url=https://traveltips.usatoday.com/beaches-hawaii-public-34704.html |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=Travel Tips - USA Today |language=en}}</ref>