Coastlines around the globe are decorated with striking piers hovering above the ocean and boardwalks hugging the sand. Some are simple wooden jetties and terraces with a long, working history; others are kitsch pleasure piers lovingly restored from their Victorian heyday. Here we reveal the age-old piers and boardwalks that have stood the test of time.

The crown for the oldest pier in Britain goes to modest Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Actually a trio of piers in one, the structure dates right back to 1814, though it has been tinkered with a fair amount over the years. It began life as a humble wooden expanse welcoming passenger ferries, then eventually sprouted a second and a third structure adjacent to it: one for a horse-drawn tramway and the next for a rail line. It’s pictured here a little later, circa 1895.

If its historic title wasn’t enough, it’s the fourth-longest pier in the country too, only pipped to the post by Walton Pier, Southport Pier and landmark Southend. A concert pavilion (later used as a ballroom) was also built in 1895 – but Ryde has always been a working pier at heart. That doesn’t mean it looks any less impressive when framed against an orange sunset though.

The Atlantic City Boardwalk is tipped as the first of its kind in the United States – and perhaps even in the world. It was first constructed in 1870 as a way of keeping sand from the lobbies of the luxurious hotels that had sprung up along the beachfront. Over the next few decades, storms and hurricanes ravaged the young boardwalk, but each time it was rebuilt bigger and better than before. Here holidaymakers roam the promenade on a summer’s day in 1915.

The boardwalk took its final shape in 1916 and over the coming decades it cemented itself as a pleasure seeker’s paradise – think neon signs, ritzy hotels and restaurants and classic seaside amusements. Showbiz royalty like Marilyn Monroe and The Beatles soon descended and its quaint rolling chairs became an Atlantic City icon. The casinos that opened in the 1970s gave it more staying power still. This shot shows the infamous boardwalk bustling on a sunny afternoon in 2017. 

This famous pier on the South Coast screams 'British seaside holiday' as much as fish and chips. Work on the beloved Brighton Palace Pier began in 1881 and carried on right up until 1899 – though it almost wasn't completed. An 1896 storm that entirely destroyed the city’s Old Chain Pier (dating to 1823) almost ravaged the infant Palace Pier too, but luckily work was eventually able to continue. It’s pictured here abuzz with people at the turn of the century.

Upon its completion, the impressive pier was 1,772 feet (540m) long, its wooden expanse strung with thousands of lights and jutting into the chilly English channel. Early attractions included ornate pavilions for reading and dining, and a 1,500-seat theatre. Today the attractions on this Grade II-listed building are somewhat bolder and brasher (a kaleidoscopic helter skelter and a games arcade to name a few), but it’s lost none of its appeal. It’s pictured here in December 2019. 

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Celebrated as the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, Busselton stretches out for a whopping 1.1 miles (1.7km) and dates to the 1860s. It began life as a working pier, used for loading up cargo ships with crops, livestock and timber to be transported overseas. The hardy jetty has been put through its paces too – it has been swallowed by fire on numerous occasions and was battered by Cyclone Alby in 1978. This photo shows visitors at a children's sporting event.

Now the jetty is very much retired and it's putting its sunset years to good use. Today the pier is typically a favourite with families, with its mailbox-red jetty train chugging along the platform and its duck-egg blue huts posing for the camera. There’s also an underwater observatory 26 feet (8m) below the ocean’s surface, which serves as a window to colourful schools of fish and sub-tropical corals.

This handsome structure in northeastern Germany has been a pleasure pier from the start. Construction began in 1882 and the resulting wooden jetty housed a swish restaurant that attracted well-heeled punters from across the seaside town. It’s pictured here circa 1890, thronged with crowds on a summer's day – the quaint covered chairs that dot the sand are still a feature of the beach today.

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It wasn’t long before the structure was extended so it swept out into the Baltic Sea, reaching more than 920 feet (280m) and serving as a stopping point for incoming ships. Now its squat towers and pyramidal turrets remain a striking feature of the coastline, and it’s famed as the oldest pier in Germany. True to its roots, the pier still hosts a popular restaurant too.

Though one of the youngest on our list, this world-famous pleasure pier is still more than a century old. When it was built in 1909, it became the first concrete pier on the USA’s West Coast and people flocked to the bold structure to fish in the Pacific Ocean. Over the years, several landmark attractions followed, including the Looff Hippodrome with its ornate carousel. The pleasure pier is snapped here circa 1930, and you can spot amusements like the Whirlwind Dipper and La Monica Ballroom.

It’s hard to imagine Santa Monica without its iconic seafront amusements today but the future didn’t always look bright for the pier. In the 1970s, its popularity declined and it faced the wrecking ball. However, locals rallied to protect their beloved landmark and succeeded in saving it. Disaster struck once more as a large swathe was destroyed in a storm, but it was still rebuilt. Now it’s a loud, proud attraction with dozens of thrill rides, food stands and arcade games, plus an illuminated sign that loves the camera. 

An elegant beachfront boulevard in the South of France, the Promenade des Anglais was the vision of English aristocrats who frequented Nice in the 19th century, typically spending entire winters in the sunny city. The well-to-do British visitors took issue with the rugged walkways that existed along the beach and paid for a smooth seaside promenade to be built in the 1820s. They’re pictured here enjoying it circa 1900.

Some two centuries later, the historic, palm-lined promenade still spools out along the Baie des Anges, with views of the French Riviera’s distinctive blue waters. Uber-luxurious hotels stud the boulevard too and the walkers “taking the air” are now joined by bikers and skaters. It’s snapped on a typically buzzy afternoon in summer 2018.

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This unassuming structure in the South African city of Durban dates to the mid-19th century and is a haven for marine life. It’s home to one of the largest sub-tidal mussel beds in the region, as well as plenty of other colourful sea critters, who in turn attract snorkelers and fishermen. Though its history is long, its future is uncertain: many locals see a major redevelopment of the Durban waterfront as a threat to the landmark.

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Another 19th-century confection, Llandudno Pier is a stunning feat of Edwardian and Victorian architecture, with its neat pavilions decked in coastal colours and its latticework like lace. It marches out into the Irish sea and its total length is 2,295 feet (700m), making it the longest pier in Wales. And, with its opening day dating back to 1877, it’s got age as well as beauty.

Now a Grade-II-listed building, Llandudno is a classic British pier – think dinky shops selling rainbow buckets and spades, kitsch funfair rides and a retro penny arcade. It’s been lovingly restored and refurbished over the years, and still serves as a prime spot for fishing and, of course, for stellar views of the sunset. See the website for up-to-date information on amenities. 

America’s most notorious playground, Coney Island has long been a hot spot for US holidaymakers, even before its famous promenade, the Riegelmann Boardwalk, was built. In the early 1900s, the area’s trio of parks – Steeplechase Park, Luna Park and Dreamland – vied for attention, street performers lined the beach and ritzy restaurants and bathing pavilions drew in well-heeled vacationers. There was also an early boardwalk to the east of Steeplechase Park called The Bowery (though it was set a few streets back from the seafront). It’s pictured here circa 1903.

As Coney Island’s popularity continued to soar, politician Edward Riegelmann decided it was time to install a proper beachfront boardwalk. He injected $3 million (more than $40m/£30.5m today) into the seaside project. It opened to great fanfare in 1923 and was soon nicknamed 'Coney Island’s Fifth Avenue'. Nearly a century later it’s lost none of its appeal – you can see it zigzagging along the sand in this bird's-eye snap. The Coney Island Facebook page is the best place for updates and upcoming events.

Zhanqiao Pier shoots into Qingdao Bay, stretching out for around 1,444 feet (440m) and crowned by octagonal Huilange Pavilion, with its elegant curved roof and colourful façade. The pier dates to the 1890s, and eagle-eyed beer lovers might recognise it from the logo of Tsingtao beers. It’s pictured here on a busier evening in 2019.

The St. Lawrence River unfolds beyond this smart terrace in Québec’s capital city. Terrasse Dufferin folds itself around Château Frontenac, a century-old hotel decorated with towers and turrets, then sweeps along the water’s edge, lined with ornate gazebos and an intricate iron railing. It was built in the 1870s and named for the then-Governor General of Canada, Lord Dufferin, who dreamt up the idea.

The terrace has changed very little since it opened in the 19th century and it’s known for the subterranean wonders that exist beneath its surface. The Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site unfolds underground, protecting the remains of a historic government residence. In the bracing winter months, a popular toboggan run typically opens on the terrace too.

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Brazil’s most famous beach, sunbaked Copacabana in Rio has long been hugged by a paved promenade. The boardwalk has its roots in the early 20th century when Mayor Pereira Passos rolled out a major urban renewal project across the neighbourhood of Copacabana. However, the eye-catching promenade we see today – with its swirling black and white tile patterns – was realised by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx in the 1970s.

One of the most famous seaside amusements in America, this historic structure sprawls into Lake Michigan and is a pleasure pier through and through. Today it’s topped with everything from thrill rides and restaurants to botanical gardens and its famous Children’s Museum. But it was once a working pier too. It opened to fanfare as the Municipal Pier in 1916 and was considered unique for its mix of work and play. It served as both a dock for cargo and passengers, and a cultural hub that hosted plays, concerts and art exhibitions.

The pier thrived through the Roaring Twenties, but struggled through the Great Depression in the 1930s. The next decade was harder still: the pier was occupied by the US Navy through the Second World War and converted into an enormous training facility. Post-war the pier served as part of the University of Illinois campus and hosted some major events, but gradually fell into disrepair until the 1990s. In this decade the pier’s future was finally set. A 150-foot (46m) Ferris wheel was erected, grand stages once again held concerts, and restaurants and shops lined the decades-old jetty. 

Gorgeous Victorian-era piers are fanned out right round the edge of Britain – but this southwestern jewel is one of the finest, famously described by the late poet Sir John Betjeman as the "most beautiful pier in England". It was officially opened in the spring of 1869 and principally served passenger ships making the journey to South Wales. This nostalgic snap from the 1880s shows the view of Clevedon from the end of the pier.

It doesn’t have the bells, whistles and thrill rides of some of Britain’s pleasure piers, but that’s part of its charm. It’s effortlessly beautiful with a Japanese-style pagoda crowning the pier head and its eight steel supporting spans creating a striking pattern against the water.  Visitors can continure their trip to the Clevedon pier by visiting the  museum, café or souvenir shop.

The story of this fine-looking structure begins in 1859, when work on the original Swanage Pier began. Upon its completion, the pier was a hardy, working jetty used for shipping stone. Fast-forward a couple of decades, though, and things had changed. A brand new steamer service in the 1870s was whisking passengers between Swanage, Poole and Bournemouth, and an influx of tourists meant the humble pier (pictured here in 1863) was no longer fit for purpose.

While it’s not as flashy as some of America’s attraction-filled piers, Naples’ offering certainly gets points for its history. A simple wooden span striking out into the Gulf of Mexico, Naples Pier was built back in 1888 and originally served as a freight and passenger dock. Today it’s a favourite with keen fisherfolk and sunset seekers. 

A shiny new pier had opened here by the 1890s and the state-of-the-art jetty was soon welcoming thousands of visitors per season. Still, though, the shine wore off in the end. As steamer traffic dwindled, the pier fell into disrepair and was left to ruin for some three decades. The smart pier that stands today is the result of major refurbishments in the 1990s. It’s pictured here in all its glory as sunset-tinged clouds roll in overhead.

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