I enjoyed the beach at Livorno, Italy, and also the one at Nice, France, which I visited in the summer of 1966. The surf at both beaches was not too rough and the water was warm. At Nice, it was turquoise in color.
However, Livorno and Nice might not be very desirable destinations today.
When I visited San Remo, Italy in 1963, I selected that city as my most favorite place in the world.
(My BIL, who has a travel agency, tells me that it was 'found' some time back.)