ORLANDO, Fla. — Often lauded among best beach awards, a strip of Florida shoreline near Sarasota has once again set itself up for success as Siesta Beach was the only Sunshine State location to make the Top 10 of the annual TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.
Florida, though, took up plenty of space among the Top 25, with nine total most along the Gulf Coast near Tampa Bay and the Panhandle but a couple on the Atlantic coast as well.
Florida beaches overall actually fell significantly from 2021′s rankings, though, which are based on the quantity and quality of reader reviews in the TripAdvisor community.
While Siesta Beach was up from No. 17 to No. 2 in the U.S. and ranked No. 14 in the world, last year’s top-rated U.S. beach, St. Pete Beach, fell to No. 22.
So for Florida, after Siesta Beach in the top 10, Pensacola Beach ranked 11th (up from 15th), Henderson Beach State Park in Destin ranked 12th (up from 13th), St. Augustine Beach ranked 14th after not placing in 2021, Fort Lauderdale Beach ranked 18th after not placing in 2021, Treasure Island Beach ranked 19th (down from 16th), Panama City Beach ranked 21st after not placing in 2021, St. Pete Beach was 22nd and Clearwater Beach ranked 24th (down from 18th).
In the U.S, the Top 10 are Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area in Puako, Hawaii at No. 1, Siesta Beach at No. 2, Poipu Beach Park in Poipu, Hawaii at No. 3, Moonstone Beach in Cambria, California at No. 4, Kailua Beach Park in Kailua, Hawaii at No. 5, Driftwood Beach in Jekyll Island, Georgia at No. 6, Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington at No. 7, Cannon Beach, Oregon at No. 8, La Jolla Cove in La Jolla, California at No. 9 and Ho’okipa Beach Park in Paia, Hawaii at No. 10.
Siesta Beach has been named TripAdvisor’s best beach several times in the past, including in 2020. The barrier island on the Gulf Coast is often near the top of best beach lists, including garnering titles in the annual Dr. Beach list in 2011 and again in 2017.
The beach, a massive stretch that is part of a county park with ample parking and facilities, is known for its sugar-white, nearly pure quartz crystal sand that doesn’t really get hot on your feet.
In his past reviews of the beach for his Dr. Beach list, Stephen Leatherman, the Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research said “Siesta Beach in Sarasota boasts that it has the finest and whitest sand in the world, and I cannot argue with this claim. The beautiful blue-colored water is clean and clear, making it so inviting to bathers and swimmers.”
TripAdvisor contributor @Nik wrote a review saying, “Absolutely beautiful beach with silky quartz sand! Great beach for people watching, sunsets, breakfast/morning walk on the beach and finding sand dollars.”
The Sunshine State still had the most entries for 2022 with Hawaii coming in second with six, California with three and one each for Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Maine, Texas, Maryland and South Carolina.
Globally, Grace Bay Beach in Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos rated best in the world followed by No. 2 Varadero Beach in Varadero, Cuba, No. 3 Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Australia, No. 4 Quarta Praia in Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil, No. 5 Eagle Beach - Palm in Eagle Beach, Aruba, No. 6 Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island, India, No. 7 Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, No. 8 Trunk Bay Beach in Virgin Islands National Park, U.S. Virgin Islands, No. 9 Baía dos Golfinhos in Praia da Pipa, Brazil and No. 10 Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa, Italy.
This is the 10th year of the TripAdvisor awards, during which a Florida beach has topped the U.S. list. seven times.
The full list from the reader-review website covers more than 300 beaches in not just U.S. and global rankings, but also by region including Asia, Europe, Africa, South Pacific, South America, Middle East, Caribbean, Central America, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the U.K.
To view them all, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Beaches.
The TripAdvisor awards come before the influx of Spring Breakers to the state while another list that ranks U.S. beaches, the Dr. Beach list, comes ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
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