As summer season is starting, Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, better known as Dr. Beach, announced America’s best beaches in 2017. Florida dominates Dr. Beach’s 27th Annual Top 10 Beach List for second year in a row.
Three of Florida’s beaches stand out as America’s best for a second year in a row, reminding families and summer vacation seekers why Florida is the place for the best family beach vacations in 2017. This year, Siesta Beach in Sarasota County on Florida’s Gulf Coast was named the #1 Beach in America.
Each year, travelers await Dr. Leatherman’s annual Top 10 Beaches list, eager to discover the beaches most admired by locals and tourists alike. For the 27th annual Top 10 Beach list, Dr. Leatherman evaluated and ranked beaches all over the United States, using 50 criteria that included the color of the sand, the clarity of the water, the slope of the shore and much more.
Siesta Beach, Sarasota
“Siesta Beach boasts that it has the finest, whitest sand in the world, which attracts sand collectors and beach lovers from all over,” says Dr. Leatherman. “Siesta Beach is not only a beautiful location for beachgoers, but it is also an environmentally healthy beach and offers first-rate beach safety for its visitors.” Previously, Siesta Key was # 1 in 2011 and #2 in 2016.
Also making the list are two other Florida beaches: Grayton Beach State Park (#4) in Northwest Florida and Caladesi Island State Park (#7) in Dunedin/Clearwater. Previously, Grayton Beach Stake Park was listed as #6 and Caladesi Island State Park as #9.
Florida is home to many other award-winning beaches. Florida beaches that have won Dr. Beach’s top honors in year’s past include:
- Bahia Honda State Recreation Area(1992) now a state park in the Florida Keys.
- Grayton Beach State Recreation Area(1994, 2016) now a state park in Walton County.
- Andrew’s State Recreation Area(1995) now a state park in Bay County Panama City Beach.
- Joseph Peninsula State Park(2002) in Gulf County near Port St. Joe.
- Fort De Soto ParkNorth Beach (2005) in Pinellas County St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
- Caladesi Island State Park(2008, 2016) in Pinellas County St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
- Siesta Key Beach(2011, 2016)
TOP 10 BEACHES 2017
1. Siesta Beach Sarasota, Florida
2. Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii
3. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Photo by C. Leinbach
4. Grayton Beach State Park Florida panhandle
5. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
6. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
7. Caladesi Island State Park Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
8. Hapuna Beach State Park, Big Island, Hawaii
9. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
10. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South CarolinaSource:ftnnews
