Did people used to chill on the beach in large numbers before the industrial revolution and the rise of the leisure class?

by skuntis

I mean; did people sunbathe; were there food vendors and facilities on beaches etc. Has humanity always flocked to the coast when it gets hot?

mikedash

There will be more to say about some of the specifics of this question, but I wrote an earlier response that attempted to contextualise the reasons why so few people in northern European countries could swim in the pre-industrial period, and this touches on some important attitudes that have a bearing on your query. You might like to review that response while you wait for fresh answers that target the sunbathing and leisure food aspects of the problem.