Beachgoing, or the act of traveling to an ocean beach for leisure, is a cultural phenomenon that has its roots in ancient practices yet did not become a widespread leisure activity until much later. It stands as one of the earliest manifestations of modern tourism and remains a cornerstone of the broader tourism sector.
The tradition originated from the medically-prescribed sea-bathing practices introduced by British physicians during the 17th and 18th centuries, which later disseminated across Europe and European colonies. As affordable air travel became accessible, seaside resorts burgeoned globally, evolving into the contemporary tourism phenomenon.
Seaside resorts have a long history dating back to antiquity. During Roman times, the town of Baiae, located by the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy, served as a retreat for the affluent. Barcola in northern Italy, renowned for its Roman luxury villas, stands as a remarkable example of ancient seaside leisure culture. Mersea Island in Essex, England, also attracted wealthy Romans from nearby Colchester for seaside holidays.
However, beaches in 16th-century Europe were often perceived as perilous locales fraught with dangers such as piracy, invasions, and natural disasters like hurricanes, king tides, and tsunamis. Many seaside communities were originally fishing villages where loss of life due to storms or piracy was common, exacerbated by the fact that most sailors and residents were nonswimmers.
Consequently, drowning incidents were frequent, further discouraging ocean swimming, which was viewed as hazardous due to the threat of shark attacks. Prior to the 18th century, the concept of vacationing at the beach was not widespread, with The Atlantic noting that only peasants sought relief from the heat in the refreshing seawater.
Starting in the 1600s and 1700s, British physicians began advocating sea-bathing as a means to promote or restore health. According to the Smithsonian, sea-bathing was prescribed for various ailments such as melancholy, rickets, leprosy, gout, impotence, tuberculosis, menstrual problems, and hysteria. Affluent individuals adopted the practice of traveling to the beach for prescribed short baths, drinking seawater, and inhaling “sea air,” believed to be richer in oxygen. Bathing machines, operated by attendants, facilitated these dips into seawater, with women wearing bathing costumes and men bathing nude.
Initially, the primary purpose of travel to seaside towns was for the prescribed daily five-minute dip, leading to the development of resorts catering to affluent visitors for the remainder of each day. The first such resort emerged in Scarborough near York. With improved travel infrastructure, including trains and better roads, less affluent travelers could also partake in seaside leisure activities. Resort communities sprouted in numerous seaside towns, leading to the proliferation of this phenomenon across Europe and European colonies.
A parallel evolution occurred in Rio de Janeiro during the 19th and 20th centuries, where therapeutic sea-bathing evolved into a social activity centered around “seeing and being seen,” ultimately shaping the city’s vibrant beach culture into a defining characteristic.
Relevant articles:
– Going to the beach and swimming in the ocean for leisure is a relatively modern practice in the western world.