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Blue waters and white sands of Balos Beach in Crete, Greece.
Image: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/picture allianceImage: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Beach

A beach is a sloping strip of land that lies along the edge of a lake, ocean or river. Some tourist destinations are famous for their beaches, which attract millions of visitors.

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All Content on this topic

Cars and fallen electricity poles are seen along a road as tropical storm Pabuk approaches the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Storm Pabuk strikes Thailand beaches

The tropical storm — feared to be the worst to hit Thailand in decades — uprooted trees and blew off roofs in its path.
CatastropheJanuary 4, 20195 images
Thailand tropical storm Pabuk

Storm Pabuk strikes Thai beaches

The storm has made landfall on Thailand's south coast, unleashing gusting winds and surging waves and causing one death.
CatastropheJanuary 4, 2019
Volunteers on the island of Ameland

Dutch islanders take to the beach as container cargo washes ashore

Residents of the Dutch islands in the North Sea have flocked to beaches, including volunteers and treasure hunters.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 4, 20196 images
Trash is strewn across a beach in Honduras

Do beach cleanups really make a difference?

Some experts warn that removing trash from the environment doesn't get to the root of the problem.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 20, 2018
Honduras Strandsäuberung Müll Plastik Umwelt

Plastic cleanups: better for the planet or our conscience?

With more awareness of plastic pollution, we may ask, ‘How can I help?’ Do beach cleanups really make a difference?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 29, 201807:17 min
Chile Proteste der Mapuche nach Polizeigewalt in Osorno

Asking the difficult questions

We dig into tricky topics: Are activists safe? Should Germany quit coal? Why bother cleaning beaches?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 29, 201829:59 min
Euromaxx Römö

Beach racing in Denmark

The Danish island of Rømø hosts the Motor Festival featuring vintage cars and motorbikes.
LifestyleSeptember 9, 201805:13 min
Trash Heroes cleanup meet up on Saba Beach (photo: DW/N. Macaulay)

Living Planet: Indonesia's Bali cleans up its beaches

Indonesia, the world's second-largest source of marine plastic waste, wants to cut down on plastic.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 30, 201807:59 min
Indonesien West-Nusa Tenggara

Jail for a pebble

Many travelers bring home rocks or sand from a beach vacation. Often, that's illegal — and it could land you in prison.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 24, 2018
Kolumbien San Andres und Providencia

In prison for a pebble

Many travelers bring home rocks or sand from a beach vacation. Often, that's illegal — and it could land you in prison.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 24, 20187 images
DW Euromaxx (Sendunglogo)

Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe

The Concorso d'Eleganza, art on the coast of Belgium and a comeback for baroque wallpaper.
LifestyleMay 29, 201826:03 min
Bildergalerie Tourismus in Indonesien Nusa Dua

Trouble in Southeast Asia's beach paradises

Southeast Asia's once-pristine beaches buckle under tourism strain. How should the problem be addressed?
TravelApril 11, 2018
Indonesien | Ein Schild weist Besucher auf die Kleiderordnung am Strand hin

World in Progress: Sharia and Tourism in Aceh

Sarah Steffen explores how well strict Islamic rules and beach life go together in Aceh, Indonesia.
ReligionApril 4, 201808:48 min
Tulum's white sandy beach from above

Mexico's paradise lost

For all its restorative eco-chic reputation, the Mexican town of Tulum is going through an environmental breakdown.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 3, 2018
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Thai authorities to temporary close famous beach

In a bid to halt environmental damage, Thai authorities have ordered the temporary closure of a world famous beach.
BusinessMarch 28, 201800:58 min
Stranded whales in Hamelin Bay

Five of 150 whales saved on Australian beach

All but five of the short-finned pilot whales have died after they were beached on the southwestern tip of Australia.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 24, 2018
USA Miami Beach - Moderatorin Sarah Willis mit Mitgliedern der New World Symphony

Sarah's Music - New World Symphony in Miami

Meet the New World Symphony - a stunning centre for classical music in the heart of Miami Beach.
MusicMarch 2, 201812:01 min
Trudeau mit seiner Familie in Indien (picture alliance / Wendy Connett)

Cannes polishes up its beach

The beach on the world-famous Croisette promenade is to be widened.
TravelFebruary 23, 2018
THAILAND TSUNAMI ANNIVERSARY

Thai bay from 'The Beach' to close to boats

The once-pristine Thai bay which became a tourist magnet will be closed to boats for several months.
TravelFebruary 14, 2018
Thailand Ao Maya (Maya Bay)

Thailand's tourism boom damages corals

The famous Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi will be closed for the first time: coral damage has reached a critical level.
TravelJanuary 30, 2018
Harold Holt holding a spear-fishing gun

The 50-year-old mystery of Australia's missing PM

On December 17, 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt swam out to sea and was never seen again.
PoliticsDecember 17, 2017
Film von Coral Morphologic: "Anemone Spawn"

Miami's urban corals

Miami's urban corals are surviving – and thriving – despite the stress of climate change and pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 14, 2017
Ocean College, young people walking on beach

Ocean College

After more than a month at sea, the Ocean College students are getting used to live on the water, as Lennard writes.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 24, 2017
A boy looks at a 30 tons weighs dead whale after it stranded on Ipanema Beach coast in Rio de Janerio, Brazil

Beached whales

Every year, some two thousand whales are found stranded on beaches all over the world. But how do they get there?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 23, 2017
Tea cups, biscuit and potato chips packages, detergent sachets, bags, syringes, water bottles.

Fighting for clean beaches

Mumbai's beaches are covered in trash but one man has set out to clean them - and he is no longer alone.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 21, 2017
Rescuers trying to push a stranded whale back into the sea.

Sperm whales stranded in Indonesia perish

Rescuers could not save four of the ten whales that beached off Indonesia's Aceh province.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 14, 2017
Beach clean-up (photo: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/A. Khan)

WorldLink: The world's biggest beach clean-up

A lawyer in Mumbai was so appalled by the amount of plastic at the beach he kicked off a major beach clean up.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 10, 201706:44 min
Thailand See von Phuket (picture alliance/CPA Media/Pictures From History/O. Hargreave)

Smoking to be banned on Thai beaches

The ban, effective November 1, will be imposed on popular beaches across Thailand.
TravelOctober 10, 2017
Großbritannien Beachy Head Lighhouse im Nebel bei Eastbourne

'Chemical mist' affects hundreds on UK beach

Residents and tourists in a southern English seaside town have been taken to hospital after inhaling a noxious 'haze.'
SocietyAugust 28, 2017
- Lopes Mendes Brasilien - Ihla Grande

Our Beautiful Planet

Nature and EnvironmentAugust 25, 2017
Spanien Touristen auf Mallorca

World in Progress: Beach hawker

On holiday islands like Mallorca, many hawkers from Africa sell sunglasses, bracelets and other knickknacks to holidaymakers on the beach. But while the tourists relax, live is harsh for the hawkers, many of whom are illegal migrants. And many get deported.
PoliticsAugust 23, 201705:00 min
Schleswig-Holstein Strande FDP Hochburg Yachten

Life's a beach in idyllic FDP stronghold

What makes the sandy beaches of Strande an FDP stronghold? DW's Kate Brady reports from the German coast.
PoliticsAugust 23, 2017
Site of Documenta in Kassel

Documenta cancels 'Auschwitz on the Beach' performance

The performance was accused of comparing the Holocaust to the refugee crisis. Documenta is now planning a discussion.
CultureAugust 22, 2017
A beach near the municipality of Hillion in Brittany that has been closed off to visitors as it’s covered with green algae

Algae invades French beaches

The French region of Brittany is struggling to fight a plague of green algae.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 22, 2017
Griechenland Küche Tourismus Gerichte Speisen

Beyond the beaches: Crete's delicacies

While discovering Crete's beaches and ancient history, visitors shouldn't miss out on trying out local products.
TravelAugust 11, 2017
Österreich Ludwig/Walkenhorst jetzt auch Weltmeisterinnen: 2:1 gegen US-Team

First World title for "Golden Girls"

Germany's beach volleyball stars have won the country's first world gold medal, a year after Rio 2016 success,
SportsAugust 5, 2017
A hand holds amber rocks on a beach in northern Germany

Woman plucks WWII munition from German beach

A woman has narrowly escaped injury after pocketing a chunk of highly flammable white phosphorus from a German beach.
SocietyAugust 5, 2017
Usedom

How I came to appreciate German beach culture

DW's Courtney Tenz explains why her favorite seaside spot is inside the haven of a hardly translatable "Strandkorb."
CultureJuly 24, 2017
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Two German tourists were killed at a hotel beach in Egypt

Two German women have been killed in a knife attack at the Egyptian holiday resort town of Hurghada. Germany's foreign ministry suggested the attack intentionally targeted foreign tourists.
PoliticsJuly 15, 201700:47 min
Bulgarien Kloster Balschkovo

More than beaches: travel tips for Bulgaria

Bulgaria is both a top tourist destination and a well-kept secret, because most tourists just go to the Black Sea.
TravelJuly 12, 201711 images
Äthiopien, Tigray Region

Subotic in Ethiopia: 'I feel like I'm among friends'

Neven Subotic's foundation works with some of the world's poorest communities in Ethiopia.
SportsJuly 4, 2017
Residents of several slums protest against violence in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro

Favela protest overruns Rio beachfront

Hundreds of favela residents have rallied on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, weary of violence in the city's slums.
SocietyJuly 3, 2017
USA Miami Beach - Moderatorin Sarah Willis mit Mitgliedern der New World Symphony

Sarah's Music - New World Symphony in Miami

Meet the New World Symphony - a stunning centre for classical music in the heart of Miami Beach.
MusicJune 30, 2017
Tunesien Gedenkfeier für die Opfer des Anschlags

Tunisia beach massacre trial opens

Twenty-six people have gone on trial in Tunisia over a jihadi beach attack that killed dozens of foreign tourists.
Law and JusticeMay 26, 2017
Irland Strand von Dooagh

Irish beach reappears overnight

Thousands of tons of sand were deposited on top of the rocky coastline on Achill Island.
TravelMay 10, 2017
Deutschland Strände St. Peter-Ording

Europe’s seaside destinations

A selection of the most beautiful of those dream destinations.
TravelApril 28, 2017
Euromaxx Stills - Sirtaki

Europe Goes Dancing: Sirtaki

Euromaxx reporter Maria Grunwald learns Sirtaki -- a dance made for the film "Zorba the Greek."
CultureApril 27, 2017
DW eco@africa - Togo

Sand mining - Permaculture could save Togo’s coastline

African beaches are eroding because of illegal sand mining.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 6, 2017
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Mozambique's beach cleaner

Instead of selling fruits the members Netos de Bandim dance group.dance to finance their school education.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 5, 201701:31 min
Eco@Africa

Drones track plastic waste

Millions of tons of plastic are in the ocean. A new initiative is using drones to track the waste.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 30, 2017