I live in a beachside suburb, and on a hot day it feels like everyone from Melbourne has invaded my suburb with the roads jammed full of cars all looking to find a way to escape the heat.
Even on the very busiest of days, though, I can still find a place to set up my beach tent and a few spots for towels without feeling as though I am sitting on top of another family.
That isn’t necessarily the case in other places around the world. The list of the world’s busiest beaches, and some of the images from these places, will give you a whole new appreciation of how lucky you are at your local beach, although there is one beach in Australia that has made it onto the most-crowded list.
Read: Australia’s favourite beaches
Dalian Beach, China
When you think beaches, you don’t often think China. However, when you think crowded, you almost definitely think of the gigantic Asian nation.
Dalian Beach is in the north-east of China and is most often cited as the world’s busiest beach, with hundreds of thousands flocking to cool themselves by the coast.
The coastline at Golden Pebble Beach stretches for 4.5 kilometres and the water quality is good with the beach listed among the 15 healthy bathing places in China.
About 40,000 people a day are estimated to visit the beach in summer.
Read: World’s most beautiful beaches
Coney Island, United States
When I think of crowded American beaches the first place that springs to mind is Venice Beach in California.
However, Coney Island in New York has that covered when it comes to being crowded, with the Brooklyn beach living up to its nickname as the ‘playground of the world’.
The beach runs for 4.3 kilometres and is served by a boardwalk running the entire length of the beach.
One of the things that adds to it being so busy is the presence of amusement rides and parks as well as an aquarium and a variety of food shops and arcades that can be accessed from the land side of the boardwalk.
Interestingly, the beaches on Coney Island used to be private until 1923 when the city bought all the land on the waterfront and created the area as it is known today.
Read: Aussie beaches that allow you to camp
Haeundae Beach, South Korea
Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city, with more than 3.4 million residents, and on a hot day it feels like they all head straight to this beach.
Adding to the crowds is the fact that the area has huge hotel complexes, casinos, restaurants and a thriving nightlife.
Brighton Beach, England
I have never been to England in summer, mainly because I like my summer to come with hot weather and nice beaches.
Most of England’s beaches are horrible, rocky and uninviting. Brighton Beach is an exception to that rule, but because of that it is extremely popular.
Located on the south coast of England, it is only 76 kilometres south of London, which makes it a popular day out for Londoners looking to escape the city.
The 8.7-kilometre shingle beach still leaves a lot to be desired by Australian standards, but that doesn’t stop the locals flocking to the area, perhaps drawn by the funfair that is also located in the area.
Ipanema, Brazil
Part of the appeal of Ipanema is the song:
And the other part of the appeal is the fact that the beach is often considered one of the world’s sexiest:
The beach, known for its elegant development and social life, also has circles of people playing soccer and volleyball.
In the winter the surf can reach three metres. The water quality varies from clear light-blue water to murky green after heavy rains. Constant swells help keep the water clean, and the treacherous beach break regularly forms surfable barrels.
Despite its great reputation, it is probably one of the dirtiest beaches on this list, with large amounts of pollutants regularly found during testing.
Bondi Beach, Australia
Obviously its location (just seven kilometres east of the CBD) makes it the ideal beach for Sydneysiders, but if you don’t like being surrounded by people there are plenty of other options available. Tourists don’t know any better though, so the place is always jam packed in summer.
Bondi, isn’t just Australia’s busiest beach, it is also one of the most visited tourist sites in the whole country.
Unlike some of the other beaches on this list, Bondi is only one kilometre long, which is why it gets crowded so quickly, despite our relatively small population compared to China, Brazil, the United States and England.
How many of the world’s most crowded beaches have you visited? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
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