Who needs mother nature when you can do a better job yourself? Across the world, towns and cities are getting the bulldozers out, importing sand and bunging bags into the sea to create artificial beaches. And here are ten of the most ambitious man-made projects…
Man-made beaches | Shanghai
Where: China
Costing hundreds of millions of Yuan, the Bi Hai Jin Sha beach involved getting 120,000 tonnes of sand delivered from Hainan. It’s surrounded by a huge leisure complex and even a forest that has been planted from nothing. And all so the city can say it’s possible to go to the beach without leaving town.
Man-made beaches | Monte Carlo
Where: Monaco
Realising that there was not a single public access beach in the entire country – the others are owned by hotels and feature extortionate charges to even step on the sand – Monaco decided to build one. The Larvotto Beach is very much where the relative paupers hang out, but this is Monaco so there’s still some serious bling lying on the disappointingly brown-tinged sands.
Man-made beaches | Rotterdam
Where: Netherlands
Despite the relative proximity to the sea, the bigwigs in charge of Rotterdam decided that it wasn’t close enough. The solution was to turn a bank of the Maas river into a sandy stretch for sun-worshippers to sprawl out on. The riverside beach is often used as a venue for dance concerts. Ah… there’s nothing like a few thumping beats while you’re trying to relax, is there?
Man-made beaches | Brisbane
Where: Australia
Similar to Rotterdam’s effort, but on a grander scale is Brisbane’s Southbank beach. Covering 2,000 square metres, it features palm trees, a freshwater lagoon where the water is continuously recycled and 4,000 cubic metres of sand from nearby Moreton Bay. This is topped up with more sand every year to keep it looking clean.
Man-made beaches | Sentosa Island
Where: Singapore
The coastline around Singapore is generally about as appealing as a part of a sewer that has been converted into a swimming pool. And that’s probably why they turned Sentosa Island into a giant resort, with not one but three artificial beaches. The sand has been imported from Malaysia and Indonesia, and in total, the beaches stretch for over two kilometres.
Man-made beaches | Mt Maunganui
Where: New Zealand
It’s not the beach that’s fake here, but the waves that crash onto it. They get up to surprising heights due to the artificial reef that has been installed using all manner of hi-tech material. Even though it was designed to attract surfers, the guys with the boards haven’t been all that impressed with what has been dubbed as an expensive flop.
Man-made beaches | Bournemouth
Where: Dorset
Trying out much the same idea is Bournemouth, where an artificial reef is being built off Boscombe beach. The plan is to use webbing and geobags that will act as a ramp for the waves, doubling their size. Due to bad weather, the construction is behind schedule, but the council is hoping that the reef will turn Boscombe into a pilgrimage site for kite-surfers, windsurfers and wake-boarders.
Man-made beaches | Toronto
Where: Canada
Despite there being beaches on the lake a few minutes down the road, the city has an urban beach. It’s in front of the condos at Queen’s Quay, and the locals have criticised the HTO Park development for being a little soulless.
It looks pretty, with the views of the skyline across from the sand, but will enough people use it? Especially when the chairs keep breaking…
Man-made beaches | Paris
Where: France
For four weeks of the year, starting in mid-July, Paris suddenly grows three beaches along the River Seine. Sand is imported, deckchairs are put out and ice cream sellers pounce on the ‘Paris Plages’.
The three different sites have different themes. One is a ‘traditional’ beach, another is for watersports and the third is billed as a more intellectual option – it features books for loan and art classes.
Man-made beaches | Dubai
Where: United Arab Emirates
Forget the imported sand and artificial reefs, the new Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai is reportedly planning to fake the temperature on its beach. A series of heat absorbing pipes will be laid under the sand, linked to thermostats to keep things getting too hot and prevent pampered feet from burning. It’ll be the world’s first refrigerated beach.
This article was originally written for AOL UK.
Copyright David Whitley
