MIAMI — Florida has eight of the best beaches in the country — but only one of them is in South Florida.
Tripadvisor has just released its Best of the Beaches list, the second category in its 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards, and while Florida overall fared well, tying Hawaii in the number of beaches mentioned, South Florida had only one location on the list.
Sombrero Beach on the Atlantic Ocean in Marathon ranked No. 22 out of 25, according to Tripadvisor. Looks like Tripadvisor users have just discovered it: it’s new on this year’s list.
A returning favorite was Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, located off the coast of Sarasota, which ranked No. 2 on the list for best beaches in the U.S. and and was the only Florida spot to make the Best Beaches in the World list (11).
Six other Florida beaches made the top 25: Henderson Beach State Park in Destin (6); St. Augustine Beach (13); St. Pete Beach, which has dropped out of favor since it was named the No. 1 beach in the country in 2021 (14); Panama City Beach (18); Pensacola Beach (20); and Clearwater Beach (23).
Ka’anapali Beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui was named the best beach in the country, proof that its three miles of white sand and clear water made an impression on Tripadvisor voters (it climbed 16 places from last year).
The best beach in the world, Tripadvisor voters decided, was Baia do Sancho on the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, which is part of a group of volcanic islands. The beach is only accessible by ladder from the mainland and is famous for its turquoise waters, white sand and wide variety of wildlife.
The Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards are based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travelers and are compiled over a period from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
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Top 10 Beaches in the U.S. for 2023
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia
Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii
Henderson Beach State Park, Destin, Florida
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Coronado Beach, California
Ogunquit Beach, Maine
La Jolla Cove, California
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