I like natural swimming places, so ponds, rivers, natural beaches and so on. I visit public baths too, because its either nearer or its winter so you cant go swimming outside, but I dont like them that much because you have to pay so much money to be enclosed with other people, there is noise everywhere... Best place is in nature with noone exept your friends around you.
Funnily I dont like that sand beaches. So we have fewer sand beaches where I go (france atlantic beach with stones or croation stone coast with normal woods and grass behind it), so some hotels started to create artificial sand beaches. I dont see the advantage. The sand flys into your eyes, into your stuff, it sticks on your body, gets into the pages of your book when you read, in your foold and everywhere. Additional the sand gets very hot in the sun, so if you dont care and its really hot, its even burning you.
So I dont see any advantage of sand, while in the opposite the natural grass and woods: Soft for lying, no flying sand that stucks everywhere, the ground doesnt get so hot in the sun, so you dont need to wear shoes, the trees are offering you shadow so you can avoid the full sun (I am very pale.) and reading also goes a lot easier in the shadow of a tree. And the last thing on earth I need are those typical beach bars, terrorizing you with noise and music or restaurants or whatever. If I go to the beach, I wanna enjoy the beach. No lousy music or lousy german beer.