( CNN ) -- It 's a good summer for piers . Ryde Pier in the UK just celebrated its 200th birthday , and New York 's historic Pier A will reopen any time now ( we 're told ) , after decades of neglect and a multi-million dollar revamp . The structure , first opened in 1886 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places , closed to the public in 1960 but will soon host a visitor center , an oyster bar and a fine dining restaurant . If you ca n't get to these icons of jetty-hood though , there are plenty of other spectacular piers to travel for . Umhlanga Pier ( Durban , South Africa ) This pier is n't just a place to grab a great photo -- it 's an extension of an underground culvert that helps disperse excess storm water from the land into the ocean . The distinctive whale bone structure won the South African National Award for Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement . Length : 80 meters . Opened : 2007 . Contains : Storm water disposal channels . Cost : Free . Rotonda a Mare ( Senigallia , Italy ) Rotonda a Mare ( `` circular pier '' ) had additional purposes during wartime , serving as a military warehouse during World War II . The pier was built in 1923 but closed in 2005 for renovations . It reopened a year later , with a beautiful sea-themed mosaic by Enzo Cucchi adorning the entrance . Opened : 1923 . Contains : A concert hall . Cost : Free . Clevedon Pier ( Somerset , UK ) Late English poet Sir John Betjeman described this pier as `` the most beautiful pier in England . '' It was built in 1869 as a departure point for paddle steamer excursions , and is the only fully intact , Grade 1 listed pier in the UK . The supports were constructed using metal taken from Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's South Wales railway . Length : 312 meters . Opened : 1869 . Contains : Art gallery and gift shop . Cost : $ 1.60 for children , $ 3 for adults . Kastrup Pier ( Kastrup , Denmark ) This unusual pier contains a structure that encircles an outdoor swimming area , allowing visitors to take a dip without the risk of being washed out to sea . The pier is made from azobe wood , which is resistant to sea water and at night up-lighting emphasizes the beautiful curved wooden walls and illuminates the swimming area -- and the skinny dippers who reportedly frequent it . Length : 100 meters . Opened : 2004 . Contains : A swimming area and diving platform . Cost : Free . Huntington Beach Pier ( California ) With a length of 560 meters , this beautiful Californian pier is one of the longest on the U.S. west coast . During World War II it doubled as a submarine lookout post , with machine guns positioned at the end . If you do n't live nearby , you can check out the view from the pier at any Hollister store -- footage recorded by cameras at the end are shown on screens inside . Length : 560 meters . Opened : 1914 . Contains : A diner and shops . Cost : Free . Los Muertos Pier ( Puerto Vallarta , Mexico ) This 328-meter-long pier was designed by architect José de Jesús Torres Vega and opened in 2013 as part of a scheme to regenerate Puerto Vallarta . Construction costs totaled $ 2.4 million . The pier is especially popular with couples ; historically , Los Muertos is one of Puerto Vallarta 's most romantic areas , despite the name 's distinctly unromantic translation : Los Muertos means `` the dead . '' Length : 328 meters . Opened : 2013 . Contains : A landing dock and sculpture . Cost : Free . Scheveningen Pier ( Scheveningen , Holland ) Scheveningen pier stands out because of its unusual construction , which comprises four island-type sections and upper and lower areas . The structure , the longest pier in the Netherlands , was built in 1959 and purchased by hotel firm Van der Valk Hotels for the symbolic price of one guilder ( $ 0.50 ) in 2001 . Length : 382 meters . Opened : 1959 . Contains : Restaurant , casino and a children 's funhouse . Cost : Free . Brighton Pier ( Brighton , UK ) Brighton 's only remaining pier ( the rest have burned down ) has had starring roles in `` Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street , '' the 1970s British TV series `` The Persuaders '' and Ralph Fiennes ' drama `` The End of the Affair . '' An unusual fact ? If Usain Bolt maintained his 200 meter sprint record for its entire length , it would take him 50.36 seconds to reach the end . Length : 524 meters . Opened : 1899 . Contains : A theme park , shopping arcades and amusement arcades . Visitors per year : 4 million . Cost : Free . Busselton Jetty ( Busselton , Australia ) This is the longest pier in the Southern Hemisphere . A railway runs along its length and it 's the only pier with an underwater observatory at the end . Prior to the Commonwealth Games in 2006 , the Queen 's baton -- the Commonwealth equivalent of the Olympic torch -- was taken to the observatory and carried underwater by a diver . Length : 1,841 meters . Opened : 1865 . Contains : An observatory . Cost : Free . Tamara Hinson is a freelance travel writer based in the UK .
As UK 's Victoria Pier celebrates 100 years and New York 's Pier 54 flirts with a later date , we list other great piers around the world . At nearly 2 km , the pier is the longest in the southern hemisphere and has a unique underwater feature . Clevedon Pier is the only fully intact , Grade 1 listed pier in the UK .