What’s cool about visiting the beach — even the same one — is that they are ever-changing environments so it’ll be a little different every time you come back. Within one human lifetime, a shoreline can grow or shrink by tens of feet due to the action of waves, wind, storms, floods and other weather conditions.

Waves can erode beaches and carry material to other areas, widening shorelines. They can also erode the bases of cliffs until they collapse, changing the coastline overnight. The wind blows sand beyond the waves, forming sand dunes which are eventually colonized by plants. The vegetation slows the wind, preventing it from blowing the sand away and the dunes continue growing larger and larger. There’s always something going on.

And if this leaves you craving for a new adventure, try to look for a beach that has a Blue Flag status. Blue Flag criteria include quality, safety, environmental education and information standards, the provision of services and general environmental management criteria. This means that they are safe, the water quality is great, and there are plenty of things to experience. They are in most countries around the world with a total of 4,154 Blue Flags waving across the globe.