Swimming in the sea for pleasure is a fairly recent idea. In the mid-18th century, English physician Richard Russell prescribed sea bathing as a cure, and the small port of Brighton became one of the first seaside resorts. Mountains, long feared, began to draw visitors at around the same time: in 1786, Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard became the first to reach the summit of Mont Blanc.
More than two centuries later, the debate is as lively as ever when it’s time to book a holiday. Some dream of a nap to the sound of the waves, others of a picnic facing a glacier. Vote for your side, then compare what draws you in and what would make you turn back.