Login
login / signup
Santa Cruz, California, United States
Waltons Lighthouse
Most of California's lighthouses are 19th-century relics. This one was built in 2001 to honor a sailor lost in 1945.
From the CommunityMaritime
Seoul, South Korea
Banpo Hangang Park
Where instant noodles taste better, according to an entire city.
From the Community
Ottenby, Sweden
Långe Jan
Sweden's tallest lighthouse was built from a recycled medieval chapel and spent 60 years with an open fire on top.
From the Community
Nexø, Denmark
Duodde Fyr
Denmark's tallest lighthouse was built in 1962 because the sand, so fine it filled hourglasses, kept burying its predecessor.
From the Community
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, France
Feu de Grosse Terre
Built in 1972 as one of France's last major lighthouses, its real challenge isn't guiding ships: it's outrunning the sea.
From the Community
Pilone, Italy
Torre San Leonardo
This 16th-century watchtower once warned of pirate raids with smoke and fire signals. Now it guards a nature reserve full of birds.
From the Community
Brisas de Zicatela, Mexico
Playa Zicatela
Lifeguards at Zicatela rescue 800 people annually from waves that can amplify five times their deepwater height.
From the Community
Baabe, Germany
Fischerstrand Baabe
When Baabe's fishermen didn't want a bathing facility on their landing spot, they sawed down the construction piles at night.
From the Community
Llandudno, United Kingdom
Llandudno Seafront
Llandudno's seafront shelters were rebuilt from 1899 plans found in a desk drawer, erasing 1960s 'concrete monstrosities.'
From the Community
Spittal, United Kingdom
RNLI Lifeboat Station
England's most northerly lifeboat station sits in a town that changed flags 13 times in 186 years—crew loyalty tested daily.
From the Community
Clinton, Connecticut, United States
Lobster Landing
This century-old shack survived the 1938 hurricane and serves lobster rolls with butter drizzled from a double-boiler, never a hot pan.
From the Community
Hjørring, Denmark
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse
A museum about sand drift, defeated by sand drift.
From the Community
Sign up for our Newsletter
The AWA Bulletin: A quick & curated bi-weekly break
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Miami Beach Lifeguard Towers
Hurricane Andrew flattened the lifeguard towers, so Miami rebuilt them as anthropomorphic Art Deco sentinels.
From the Community
Cape Town, South Africa
Muizenberg Beach Huts
Once changing boxes for Southern African family beach days, now survived a 2017 removal threat.
From the Community
Whitby, United Kingdom
Whitby Beach Huts
Victorian bathing machines were beach huts on wheels, hauled into the sea by horses to preserve your modesty while you slipped into the water.
From the Community
Kingston SE, South Australia, Australia
The Big Lobster
Modeled on a real stuffed lobster, Larry was voted Australia's #1 Big Thing in 2021 beating over 1,000 competitors.
From the Community
Djúpvegur, Iceland
Óshólar Lighthouse
This 1937 lighthouse guided boats to a town with no road access until 1950, where the sea was safer than land for decades.
From the Community
Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Cabo Pulmo EcoAdventures
This fishing village gave up fishing in 1995. Now it has the largest fish biomass recovery ever recorded in a marine reserve.
From the Community
Tynemouth, United Kingdom
Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigrade Museum
The world's first volunteer coastal rescue squad was born from tragedy and still answers emergency calls today.
From the Community
Barcelona, Spain
Barceloneta Beach
A man made beach built from imported sand for the 1992 Olympics.
From the Community
Struer, Denmark
Grisetå Odde Fyr
This Danish lighthouse guides ships through treacherous straits and graces cheese packages in German grocery stores.
From the Community
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Playa Grande
When Argentine aristocrats tired of crowds, they founded their own beach in 1912. With better waves.
From the Community
Valletta, Malta
Saluting Battery
Malta's Saluting Battery has served as its most historic alarm clock since the 16th century!
From the Community
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Metropolitan Fish Market
Old-school. Cash-only. Preferably quarters.
From the Community
Sydney, Australia
Hornby Lighthouse
Built in 1858 after two devastating shipwrecks, Hornby Lighthouse still stands at the edge of South Head..
From the Community
Kralendijk, Netherlands
The Harbour Village Lighthouse
Though its home is on the same island as Fort Oranje, this distinctly yellow lighthouse has a colorful history, and even more colorful neighbors.
From the Community
Cannes, France
La Plage Nespresso
In Cannes, every shot is perfected—whether it’s framed on film or pulled from the espresso machine.
From the Community
Skye, United Kingdom
Waternish Lighthouse
The Waternish Lighthouse on the northernmost point of the Isle of Skye is a great spot for spotting dolphins, whales, and… an 18th century military officer in drag?
From the Community
Port Foster, Deception Island
Deception Island / Whalers Bay
Shaped like a C, the island’s natural harbor, Whalers Bay, is actually the crater of a volcano that spends most of its time sleeping underwater.
AWA visted here
Osaka, Japan
Gozabunes
Jump into boats following in the wake of a gold-loving samurai.
From the Community
Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Point Viewfinder
Looking for the Flying Dutchman through the Cape Point viewfinder.
From the Community
Rhodes, Greece
Elli Beach Diving Platform
What looks easy from the shore is a 25-foot leap of faith.
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Paul’s Daughter
At Coney Island, it might be the giant burger and soda atop Paul’s Daughter—not the lighthouse—that steal the spotlight.
From the Community
Seaford, England, United Kingdom
Seaford Beach
Locals once lured ships to their doom with false lights. These days they lure tourists with beach huts.
From the Community