Bucket List: The World's Most Amazing Piers

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers
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Structures that were originally built to carry ships’ cargo safely to shore are now popular tourist attractions, as well as iconic landmarks and front-row seats for some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Whether they’re functioning as works of engineering art, solid foundations for historic buildings, or simply spaces for enjoying the seaside – these are the world’s most amazing piers. Note: Any attractions and events listed here are subject to local COVID restrictions.

By María Elisa Gómez Sosa

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA – The youngest build on our list, the St. Pete Pier officially opened to visitors in July 2020, and has already become an iconic recreational spot. Stretching out into Tampa Bay from downtown St. Petersburg, it offers visitors wonderful views in addition to five dining options, independent marketplaces, picnic areas, and more. Art lovers can also enjoy the work of artist Janet Echelman; her aerial sculpture Bending Arc is always in motion with the wind, and is lit up with LED lights at night. Additionally, the pier features an interactive marine centre with live exhibitions, interactive displays and tours. [Photo: Matthew Paulson/Flickr]

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Scheveningen Pier in The Hague, Netherlands – Located in the Scheveningen district of The Hague, this 382-metre pier extends from the waterfront boulevard into the North Sea. It was originally built in 1959, but was renovated and reopened in 2015, today offering dining options, entertainment and beautiful scenery. It branches out into four terminals, or ‘islands’, with a Ferris wheel rising almost 50 metres above the sea, plus a bungee jumping tower, a zip line and a promenade with a variety of restaurants, bars and terraces, not to mention five luxury hotel suites overlooking the sea. [Photo: Naveen Narain/Flickr]

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Umhlanga Pier in Durban, South Africa – Considered one of the world’s most beautiful piers, Umhlanga Pier is a clever civil engineering project built to disperse excess stormwater from the land back to the ocean. Even if it was built for functionality rather than leisure, it’s still an amazing place to take a couple of pictures – the design, resembling a whale’s rib cage, makes it one of the South African city’s top spots to catch stunning sunsets over the Indian Ocean. [Photo: South African Tourism/Wikimedia Commons]

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Los Muertos Pier in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Puerto Vallarta has been a dreamy destination for years, but besides its beautiful beaches and buzzing nightlife, the city owes a big part of its recognition to its iconic pier; Los Muertos Pier was originally used to transport film equipment for John Huston’s The Night of the Iguana (1964), and several scenes from the movie were shot here. It instantly became a popular attraction and has served as a recognisable symbol of the port ever since. The structure offers a walkway with spectacular panoramic views of the Bay of Banderas, and is illuminated at night by multi-coloured lights forming a beautiful backdrop for the Pacific coast.

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Rotonda a Mare in Senigallia, Italy – Located on the shore of Velvet Beach in Senigallia, Rotonda a Mare opened in 1933 as a space for parties and gatherings, later experiencing its golden years in the 1950s and ‘60s as a favourite hot spot for the jet set to catch concerts by Italy’s top musicians. The building was eventually renovated and reopened to visitors in 2006 as a concert hall and a beloved spot for annual fireworks shows. The impressive view of the Adriatic Sea and the beautiful entrance, decorated with sea-inspired mosaics by Italian painter Enzo Cucchi, make the visit worth it on their own. [Photo: Andrea Sartorati/Wikimedia Commons]

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Kastrup Sea Bath in Copenhagen, Denmark – One of Denmark’s go-to destinations, this living sculpture is as much about form as it is about function. Kastrup Sea Bath, also known as ‘The Snail’, has been awarded several architectural prizes, with its visually stunning circular design also serving a practical purpose: to shelter visitors from the wind while creating a pool enclosure, perfect for visitors to swim, dive, sunbathe and relax. Changing rooms and toilets are available inside the building, and it’s lit up at night with LED spotlights – to help visitors see at night, yes, but also to provide a magnificent lighting effect.

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Club de Pescadores Pier in Buenos Aires, Argentina – The Argentine Fishermen’s Club is located on this pier extending more than 500 metres over the River Plate. An official National Historic Landmark, the only building on the structure is a Belgian-style castle in which the members of the fishermen’s club meet. However, it also offers activities to other locals and tourists: the club has a library, a history museum, an aquarium, a fishing school and a restaurant that arguably serves the best seafood in the area. As you walk along the pier, you can see the city of Buenos Aires on one side and the Uruguayan coast on the other. [Photo: Sebastián Darío/Flickr]

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama, Japan – Any Tokyo itinerary is bound to be packed to the gills, but if you can swing it, the nearby city of Yokohama is worth a visit. Besides its wide variety of parks and modern architecture that makes for an amazing skyline, there’s also Osanbashi – a 400-metre pier whose contemporary design offers wooden paths and green spaces that are open to everyone. Osanbashi is the oldest of the city’s ports, and one of the main trade gateways in Japan. Today, it’s also a tourist site that offers breathtaking views of the bay and the city, especially from the rooftop observation deck.

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Brighton Palace Pier in Brighton, UK – There’s a reason why the Brighton Palace Pier is the best-selling postcard of the city. 100 years after its opening, Brighton’s iconic pier maintains its historic look – and though the amusement park offers new, more modern elements, it still evokes a vintage atmosphere. Come for the ambience, stay for the attractions, from the Ferris wheel to the roller coaster, restaurants, food trucks, pubs and activities for the little ones – all right over the sea, and with an impressive view of the English Channel.

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Busselton Jetty in Busselton, Australia – Stretching almost 2 km out to sea over Geographe Bay, about 2.5 hours south of Perth, this is the longest wooden pier in the world. It was originally built to improve ship movement restriction due to shallow waters, but has now become a very popular tourist destination thanks to its surrounding beaches, fishing spots and the underwater observatory where visitors can get a glimpse of the local marine life. There’s even an underwater restaurant, and a train to take passengers up and down the length of the pier.

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Navy Pier in Chicago, USA – Once a naval base and university campus, Navy Pier is now an entertainment highlight in the American Midwest, featuring a wide range of attractions from art to shopping and dining. Its 20-hectare area and 1-kilometre length over Lake Michigan include a Ferris wheel, a carousel, a botanical garden, a sensory maze, the Chicago Children’s Museum, art exhibitions, restaurants, a theatre, a shopping mall and more, so it’s basically anything and everything a fun-seeker could want – with the added bonus of a beautiful waterfront view.

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers.
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Sellin Pier in Rügen Island, Germany – One of Germany’s coastal hidden gems, Sellin Pier is a 99-step wooden pathway that leads to a beautiful Mediterranean-style building. Once a popular dance hall during the 1970s, the building currently hosts a restaurant/café, the Seebrücke, where visitors can enjoy a delicious meal while admiring the views of the Baltic Sea, as well as a diving gondola that takes you below the surface to witness underwater wildlife up close. [Photo: Raico Rosenberg/Flickr]

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Bucket List: The World’s Most Amazing Piers

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