TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Headed to the beach for some rest and relaxation? You may want to expand your search this year and look beyond the postcard images of the country’s best known destinations.
Despite its numerous beaches with emerald-colored waters and pristine sand as fine as powder, Florida only appeared once on Travel + Leisure’s list of top 25 beaches in the United States.
Travel + Leisure ranked Clearwater Beach as the No. 5 best beach. The best in the nation is Poipu Beach in Kauai, Hawaii, according to the magazine.
But don’t confine your search to Florida and Hawaii, however, as the top ten list also includes gems found in states not famous for their beaches, such as Maryland, Oregon, Washington, Illinois and Nevada.
Sand, waves, the level of seclusion, accessible parking, and even the number of shaded trees factored into the rankings.
See the top ten beaches mentioned in the report below:
- Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
- Ocean City, Maryland
- Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
- Pope Beach, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
- Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, Florida
- Harris Beach, Oregon
- Glass Beach, Port Townsend, Washington
- Oak Street Beach, Chicago, Illinois
- Carlsmith Beach, Hilo, Hawaii
- Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
For the domestic travel industry, there have been signs of hope after a brutal winter.
U.S. airlines said in late April that they had experienced a spring surge of bookings that made up for January and February, when omicron-fueled covid cases skyrocketed.
The complete list of the nation’s top 25 beaches can be found on Travel + Leisure’s site.