Beaches Near Me is a free, no-login map that shows beaches around your current location — sea, lake and river beaches, drawn from open data mapped by the OpenStreetMap community. Allow location access and the map centers on you, lists the nearest beaches by distance, and lets you tap any of them to see its surface, entry fee, lifeguard status, dog policy, wheelchair access, and a one-tap directions link.
It’s built for the moment you decide you want water today — on holiday in an unfamiliar town, on a summer road trip, or just looking for a swim spot within cycling distance of home. Because it includes inland beaches, it works far from the coast too: lakeside lidos in the Alps, river beaches along the Rhine or Loire, reservoir bays — if someone has mapped it as a beach, it shows up. You can also pan or search anywhere in the world to scout the beaches near a hotel before you book.
Coverage comes entirely from OpenStreetMap contributors, so it’s richest along well-mapped coastlines and popular lake regions, and thinner where the community hasn’t mapped yet. When an area has nothing mapped, the tool says so honestly instead of inventing results — and the details it shows are only ever what’s actually been recorded on the map.
How to use it
- Allow location when prompted. The map recenters on you and the list ranks the nearest beaches by distance. Prefer not to share location? Search a coastal or lake town, or just pan the map.
- Read the markers: teal dots are beaches, amber dots are managed beach resorts. Busy stretches of coast group into clusters — tap a cluster to zoom in.
- Tap a beach to open its details: surface (sand, pebbles, gravel or rock), free entry or fee, lifeguard, dogs, wheelchair access, opening hours and the operator’s website where mapped.
- Tap “Directions” to open the spot in Google Maps and navigate there.
- Filter by surface, lifeguard, dog-friendly, or free vs paid entry to narrow a busy coastline to the beaches you actually want.
- Move the map to explore a new area — results refresh automatically for wherever you’re looking.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free, and do I need an account?
Yes — it’s completely free, with no sign-up, no app to install, and no login. Open the page and it works.
Does it really include lake and river beaches?
Yes. OpenStreetMap tags any mapped bathing spot as a beach regardless of the water it sits on, so lakeside lidos, river beaches and reservoir bays appear alongside ocean beaches. That makes the tool genuinely useful inland — though inland mapping is patchier than the big coastlines, so expect coverage to vary.
Where does the beach data come from?
From OpenStreetMap, the open, community-maintained map of the world, via its Overpass API. Beach data is © OpenStreetMap contributors and available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Because anyone can improve the map, coverage keeps growing over time.
Why don’t I see any beaches in my area?
OpenStreetMap’s beach coverage varies by region, and inland spots are mapped less consistently than famous coastlines. If you see “no mapped beaches,” zoom out to widen the search or try a nearby coastal or lake town. The tool won’t fake results to fill the gap.
Can I rely on the lifeguard and fee details?
Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. The tool shows exactly what OpenStreetMap contributors have recorded — “not tagged” means nobody has mapped that attribute yet, not that it doesn’t exist, and a lifeguard tag doesn’t tell you today’s duty hours. For safety-critical decisions, always check signage or the operator’s website on the spot.
How do I find a sandy or dog-friendly beach?
Open the filters (top right) and pick a surface — sand, pebbles, gravel or rock — or switch on dog-friendly, lifeguard, or free entry. Filters only match beaches where that attribute is explicitly mapped, so they’re precise rather than exhaustive.
It says my location is “approximate” — why?
If precise GPS isn’t available (location was denied, or your device/network can’t provide a fix), the map falls back to an approximate position derived from your internet connection. That can reflect your provider’s location rather than where you’re standing — especially on a VPN — so it’s clearly labeled. Pan the map or search a place to refine it.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes — it’s designed mobile-first, with large tap targets and a full-screen map. It works in any modern mobile or desktop browser.