Artificial Beaches Around the World

Beaches started out as natural phenomena, but now they have some competition with the man-made versions. The stunning beauty of natural beaches is undeniable, as are their dangers. With artificial beaches, we don’t run the risks of sharks, jellyfish, bluebottles, or oil spills. The controlled temperatures and tides are yet another advantage.

Many indoor beaches could fool many people into thinking they’re visiting the real thing. Tourists often visit such places, especially if they’re seeking safe adventures as well as enjoyment at the beach. Below are some of the most famous artificial beaches found all over the world:

Larvotto Beach

Larvotto Beach is Monaco’s only public beach, just a few minute’s walk away from Monte Carlo. Built upon a pre-existing seafront, the beach is lined with restaurants and bars. It’s only expected that this location attracts many tourists and natives of the place. The sand is pebbly, and the eateries are open all year round. You can hence have a good time here no matter what the weather’s like.

Seagia Ocean Dome

Located in Miyazaki in the island of Kyushu, Japan, Seagaia Ocean Dome was one of the island’s most sought-after tourist destinations. Of course, inside the Ocean Dome was fake — a fake volcano, fake sands, fake palm trees, and even an artificial heating system. It also featured the world’s largest retractable roof which simulated blue skies.

The resort was due for renovations in 2007 and hence closed down at the time. While it was open, it was among the world’s biggest indoor water parks. The theme was Polynesia, and the dome itself was a project within the Sheraton Seagaia Resort. Its length was 300 meters, while the width was 100 meters. When it opened in 1993, visitors kept increasing. The entrance fees change according to the season.

While the dome was supposed to undergo renovations for the resort’s re-branding plan, it didn’t turn out that way. It did re-open in 2016 but was eventually torn down in 2017.

Seagia Ocean Dome

Odaiba

Odaiba is an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge. The island was built in 1853 for defensive purposes and is now a popular tourist destination. One of the most sought-after attractions is the giant Ferris wheel named Daikanransha. This was once the world’s largest Ferris wheel.

One can access this entertainment spot by going over the Rainbow Bride or the Yurikamome train. There’s a beach at Seaside Park, and visitors can also view Mount Fuji from the Ferris wheel. The science museum is also nearby, where one can actually talk to robots. To enjoy the waterfront views better, one can also go to the sushi bars along that side.

Artificial Beach

The island nation of Maldives is famous the world over for its pristine white-sand-blue-water beaches. However, its densely-populated capital city of Male is not blessed with natural beaches like the neighboring islands, so it constructed its own. The beach is now a popular site for hosting several events from sports to music and carnival shows.

This Maldives man-made beach is aptly and straightforwardly named “Artificial Beach”. The country itself is a prime island vacation spot for the wealthy and celebrities, so the man-made beach was created to attract even more people. You can be assured of soft sand and peaceful waters here, along with sports activities, carnivals, and live music shows.

Paris Plages

Every summer for four weeks, the banks of the Seine river is devoted to pedestrian-only waterfront getaway for Parisiennes looking for a nice place to sunbathe. The riverside roads are closed just for this purpose and they’re equipped with fake golden sands, potted palm trees, deck chairs, and umbrellas. Outdoor concerts are usually held in the area. Even ice cream vendors show up and add to the authenticity.

Sentosa Island

While there isn’t much natural about Singaporean beaches, at least they provide a quick weekend getaway for weary city slickers and their families to relax, unwind and have fun. Most of all though, they just want to experience going to the beach, away from all the high-rise buildings.

Sentosa’s coastline is lined by three white-sand beaches — Palawan Beach, Tanjong Beach and Siloso Beach — fringed by palm trees, huts, and other kinds of trees. These beaches feature reclaimed sand brought from Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Sentosa island is actually a huge resort that’s geared toward helping people gain an authentic beach experience. Aside from the beaches with imported sand, this area also has Universal Studios, Resorts World, and several other attractions which make it a very popular spot.

Surf Snowdonia

The terms “surf” and “Wales” may not be on the same wavelength (pardon the pun). But you may find your next surfing destination somewhere in the village of Dolgarrog in northern Wales.

Surf Snowdonia, an artificial beach and wave pool built from a former aluminum factory, opened in August 2015. It is the only artificial surfing lake in the UK and also claims to have the longest artificial surf wave in the world. Last September 2015, it hosted the surfing competition Red Bull Unleashed, which was attended by over 2,000 spectators. This beach opened up in August 2015 and cost about £12 million.

Tropical Islands Resort

Another domed indoor beach is the Tropical Islands, located in the former airship hangar in Krausnick, Germany. It was built by a Malaysian company named Tanjong. This resort has the largest indoor pool in the world, along with a sandy beach measuring 660 feet in length. There are about 50,000 plant species to be found here. There’s also a lagoon with a Bali theme, including waterslides, waterfalls, and a canal

All of this is located in a huge indoor place which used to be an aircraft hangar at some point. There are also several replicas of buildings that are found in the Polynesian Islands and the South Pacific coastlines.

Streets Beach

Streets Beach is a 2,000-square meter man-made beach. It is located in South Bank Parklands, which faces the Brisbane River in Queensland, Australia. This is the only beach in Australia that’s located in the heart of a city.

The beach area has a huge lagoon that contains sandy stretches, fresh water, and native plants. There’s staff to tend to the sand in order to keep it perfect, while the water is recycled on a regular basis.

Beaches of Antofagasta

The port city of Antofagasta is one of Chile’s major mining areas, but it has slowly been developed as a tourist destination. Antofagasta’s coastal edge, being rocky and steep, offers no natural beaches. However, there are several artificial beaches that provide tourists and locals a pleasurable day at the seaside.

Conclusion

Man-made or artificial beaches might not be able to completely match the beauty of natural ones, but they do fill a gap in the market. With safer, controlled environments and providing the beach experience in cold or landlocked areas, artificial beaches will probably gain more popularity as time goes by.

You’ll be surprised that a lot of the man-made beaches are almost equally stunning as the natural beaches. You will also find a few indoor beaches that look and feel like almost the real thing. Check them out!