A beach is a landform along the coast of an ocean , sea , lake , or river . It usually consists of loose particles, such as sand , gravel , shingle , or pebbles . The particles of a beach are sometimes biological in origin, such as mollusc shells or bits of coral and sometimes bits of igneous rock , but the most common mineral in beaches is quartz .

Beaches are natural landing and launching places for boats , and landing craft are specially made for beaches.

People often use beaches for recreation . They swim , bask in the sun, or just relax. The most popular beaches have fine white or light-colored sand and warm water to swim in. Beaches are also used for diving or for seeing marine life .

Among the world's most popular and well-known beaches are Aruba (Dutch Caribbean), Long Beach ( Canada ), Copacabana Beach ( Brazil ), Hot Water Beach ( New Zealand ), Megan Bay ( St. Thomas ), Kailua Beach ( Hawaii ), Zandvoort Beach ( Netherlands ), Jeffreys Bay ( South Africa ), Bondi Beach ( Australia ) and Lake Como beaches (Italy).

Taking holidays on the beach is something of a British cultural export. Early railways in the 19th century took people to places they had never seen before. This tourism was made possible by the industrial revolution . Whole seaside resort towns grew to support visitors, where before there were just villages. Vacations at the sea became common all over the world. ^[1]

Beaches are never static. They are always being built up or eroded , more quickly than other landforms. Over time the boundary between the land and the sea changes. New Romney , a small town in Kent , is one of the Cinque Ports , a mile from the sea. In Henry VIII 's time it was a port on the south coast of England. The growth of Dungeness has cut it off from the sea. Dungeness is a huge shingle beach .