I get that ports were historically very important and fishing is a source of food but none of that would have been relevant prior to the invention of boats.
I would think tens of thousands of years ago, the beach would be a place with no drinkable water, very little options for shelter, and very little options for food, yet we are drawn to it… why?
In: Biology
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My pet theory is that we all ultimately came from the sea, and there’s some base level instinct in us to return. Or at least to stay nearby.
Some little kernel of fish brain that still exists deep within us.
There is HEAPS of food on a beach, even if you don’t have access to a boat. Shellfish and crustaceans from rockpools (you can also use the shells as tools when you’re done) many seaweeds and coastal plants are edible, seabirds and their eggs…
Plus salt, which is absolutely key to preserving any OTHER food you’ve got.
You’re not thinking enough like a caveman.
I don’t like the beach. It’s full of sand, and it’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
Humans are extremely well adapted for gathering shellfish. (Which were probably a lot more abundant before there were humans everywhere messing up the environment.) There’s an “aquatic ape” hypothesis that claims this is was a massive factor in human development, though most anthropologists find this unconvincing.
Space to sit down and chill, water to go swim, surf etc, a cool breeze off the sea and open skies to bathe in the sun. I don’t think there’s any more to it. Obviously there is food on beaches but I don’t think that has anything to do with tourism and I’m not convinced this notion that there’s some kind of intrinsic instinctual attractive to beaches bears out in reality. Lots of people don’t go to beaches all that much and people don’t generally build settlements on them.
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