Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: beach

Whitley Bay is a seaside town around 16 km northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne. Around 1100 King Henry I conferred it with other possessions on the Priory of Tynemouth. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Whitley was held under the Crown for a time, but changed hands quite often over the centuries. From the late 19th century , the adverse effects of the decline of local coal mining and dependent industries were ameliorated by the emergence of Whitley as a seaside holiday resort. The opening of the North Tyne Loop railway line in 1882, connecting the coastal villages to Newcastle, benefited the tourism industry. A beach café

Whitley Bay is a seaside town around 16 km northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne. Around 1100 King Henry I conferred it with other possessions on the Priory of Tynemouth. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Whitley was held under the Crown for a time, but changed hands quite often over the centuries. From the late 19th century, the adverse effects of the decline of local coal mining and dependent industries were ameliorated by the emergence of Whitley as a seaside holiday resort. The opening of the North Tyne Loop railway line in 1882, connecting the coastal villages to Newcastle, benefited the tourism industry.

With a population of around 400, Durness is the largest village in the north-west corner of Scotland. The region of Scotland is sparsely populated - and the weather doesn't exactly invite tourists to take a stroll along the beach

Roquetas de Mar is located around 30 km south of Almería. The actual Roquetas de Mar already existed in ancient times. At the beginning of the 1960s, the "Urbanización Roquetas de Mar" was built to the south-west of it, where the tourist infrastructure is located. There are long beaches here. Alongside fruit and vegetable growing, tourism is the second largest economic sector in the municipality.

Hornsea was promoted as a seaside resort from around 1800, with early attractions like horse races on the beach. More facilities were built in the 1830s including the first Marine Hotel. A railway line from Hull to Hornsea to Hornsea was completed in 1864. The new railway not only benefited the resort, but also enabled Hornsea to function as a dormitory suburb to Hull. Helterskelter

Hornsea was promoted as a seaside resort from around 1800, with early attractions like horse races on the beach. More facilities were built in the 1830s including the first Marine Hotel. A railway line from Hull to Hornsea to Hornsea was completed in 1864. The new railway not only benefited the resort, but also enabled Hornsea to function as a dormitory suburb to Hull.

Hornsea was promoted as a seaside resort from around 1800, with early attractions like horse races on the beach. More facilities were built in the 1830s including the first Marine Hotel. A railway line from Hull to Hornsea to Hornsea was completed in 1864. The new railway not only benefited the resort, but also enabled Hornsea to function as a dormitory suburb to Hull. This wonderful duo put on a great performance. Beach entertainment that couldn't be better.

Hornsea was promoted as a seaside resort from around 1800, with early attractions like horse races on the beach. More facilities were built in the 1830s including the first Marine Hotel. A railway line from Hull to Hornsea to Hornsea was completed in 1864. The new railway not only benefited the resort, but also enabled Hornsea to function as a dormitory suburb to Hull.

According to the Roman historian Titus Livius "Valentia" was founded by Consul Decimus Iunius Brutus Callaicus in the 4th century BC. A century later "Valentia Edetanorum" became one of the first Hispanic cities to become a Roman colony. The city made rapid progress after the Arab conquest in 711, reaching 15,000 inhabitants in the Caliphate of Córdoba. The Amirids and the Dhun Nunids ruled in “Balansiya”. In 1094, El Cid, a Castilian noble, conquered the city. The conquest was not carried out on behalf of one of the Christian kingdoms, but on the Cid's own account, who proclaimed himself "Señor de Valencia" and thus created a kind of private kingdom. He was able to defend the city against several Almoravid attacks, and after his death in 1099, his widow Jimena managed to hold Valencia until 1102, when it fell to the Almoravids, and a little later to the Almohads. After the victory of the united Christian armies over the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), Moorish Spain fell apart again into individual small kingdoms, including a Taifa from Valencia. It was finally conquered in 1238 by Jaime​ I de Aragón (aka "el Conquistador"), after a five-month siege. In the 15th century, the city grew rapidly and developed into one of the largest Mediterranean ports and an important trade and financial center. At the beginning of the 15th century the city had around 40,000. Valencia has nice, sandy beaches. In summer they will be populated and a lifesaver will watch the crowd from the lookout.

No beach life here in January

Jūrmala, located about 25 kilometres west of Riga, is a resort town with a long stretch of white-sand beaches. Jūrmala's reputation as a spa destination began in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Wealthy landowners began the tradition of relaxing at the seaside, and Russian army officers came here to rest after the Napoleonic Wars. The opening of the railway in 1877 gave a boost to the number of visitors. The sea breeze, pine aroma, mineral springs, and sandy beaches encouraged many sanatoriums to develop within the city. In Soviet times Jūrmala was popular with the Communist officials. It became one of the most popular holiday destinations in the whole Union. Since the independence Jūrmala seems to recover, many of the old houses are under renovation.

Ustka (Stolpmünde) is located on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Slupia (Stolpe) into the Baltic Sea. On both sides of the town run wide sandy beaches, where tourists flock in the summer. The tourists are in the foreground, the replica of a Hanseatic cog is in the backdrop.

The valley of the Ardèche is very scenic and lots of tourists are here over summer to do kayak trips down the gorge. The most famous feature is the Pont d'Arc, a natural 60-metre stone arch spanning the river. It is probably one of the most photographed points in Southern France. For some years, whenever I come near the Ardeche, I do take a detour to have a swim right here.

A very relaxing afternoon by the sea.

Upto the 1950s Torremolinos was a small fishing village with a few hotels, just south of Malaga. The tourism-based boom of the late 50s and early 60s made Torremolinos the first major mass tourism spot on the Costa del Sol. In summer thousands of tourists will populate the beach, while in winter only some anglers meet in the late afternoon.

La Rochelle was an important harbour already within the 12th century. When in 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet (later "Henry II"), La Rochelle came under Plantagenet rule. After the first "Siege of La Rochelle" Louis VIII captured the town in 1224. From 1360 on it was English again for 12 years In the 16th century La Rochelle adopted Calvinism. in 1560 La Rochelle and Rouen were the first French cities experiencing iconoclastic riots. Following the "Massacre of Vassy" (1562), one of the triggers of the "Wars of Religion", Protestants pillaged Catholic churches, destroyed images and killed 13 priests. La Rochelle became a centre for the Huguenots. The city declared itself an independent "Reformed Republic", what of course led to conflicts with the central government. In 1571 the city suffered a naval blockade by the French Navy and was besieged 1572-1573. la Rochelle recovered and prospered for a while but in 1622 the next revolt started, when a fleet from La Rochelle fought a royal fleet and was defeated. Only three years later Huguenot troops invaded and occupied the Île de Ré and later the Île d'Oléron. For a while the troops controlled the Atlantic coast from Nantes to Bordeaux. In 1625 the Huguenots were finally defeated and both islands recaptured by Royal troops. After these events Cardinal Richelieu , Louis XIII´s Chief Minister, declared the suppression of the Huguenot revolt the first priority of the kingdom. Royal troops blockaded La Rochelle in the "Siege of La Rochelle" for 14 months until the city surrendered. Over the next years many Protestant families were expelled. The persecution of the Huguenots culminated with the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, what let many families to emigrate from France. In 2015 the "Community of Protestant Churches in Europe" bestowed La Rochelle the honoric title "European City of the Reformation". Surprisingly La Rochelle has a beach.

Les Sables-d’Olonne (= "the sands of Olonne") has indeed an endless sandy beach. I have never been a "beachcomber", but this year found it very enjoyable to lounge in a cosy arm chair of a beach bar - and have a beer. And of course watch the people having fun.

La Baule, officialy named "La Baule-Escoublac", is a "young" seaside resort. Around 1880 Parisian industrialist Jules-Joseph Hennecart bought about 40 ha of dunes for the "Société des dunes d'Escoublac" and comissioned architects to design a seaside resort. After the railroad connected the new resort to Paris ,ore than 250 posh villas were built. After WWI the resort was "redesigned" based on experiences from Deauville, combining casinos, luxury hotels and sports facilities. La Baule had become a very fashionable seaside resort in the 1920s. Meanwhile old grand hotels and new appartment buildings form the backdrop of the long beach.