St. Pete Beach named the nation’s best beach, fifth-best globally

ST. PETERSBURG — St. Pete Beach has been named the best beach in the nation based on Tripadvisor’s annual Travelers’ Choice rankings, moving up from its second-place spot in 2020.

Here are Tripadvisor’s top 10 beaches.

1. St. Pete Beach, St. Pete Beach, Florida

“A great walking beach with white quartz sand, clear calm water, and seashells by the truckload. The most perfect place to watch the sun set over the ocean.”

2. Ka’anapali Beach, Lahaina, Hawaii

“This beach is so gorgeous and accessible to everyone. There’s easy parking and a wonderful path to walk on along the beach with showers to clean off. You can hang out on the soft sand, go for a walk, snorkel, swim or paddle board in the clear, calm waters. It’s truly paradise!”

3. Moonstone Beach, Cambria, Calif.

“Beautiful beach and a great place to look for moonstones and jade. When the tide goes out you can explore the tidepools … magical!”

4. Wailea Beach, Wailea, Hawaii

“The walkway along Wailea Beach offers breathtaking views of the Maui coast. Whether on a quick walk or quiet stroll, the beauty of the area abounds. You might even see whales right offshore!”

5. Cannon Beach, Cannon Beach, Ore.

“This beach is breathtaking and vast – both long and deep! Haystack Rock at low tide is incredible with all the tide pools and sea creatures. Make sure to bring a sweater, it can be cold and windy!”

6. Napili Beach, Lahaina, Hawaii

“This little cove is a hidden gem. There’s a small natural reef about 30-50 yards in, and tons of marine life living on it. This was the best snorkel experience I have had.”

7. Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit, Maine

“This beach is impeccably clean, and has a smooth, sandy floor. At low tide the beach is probably the widest beach ever. At high tide you can walk out hundreds of feet and still be only waist high.”

8. Wai’anapanapa State Park, Hana, Hawaii

“This black sand beach (produced by volcanic activity on the island) is otherworldly along the beautiful coastline.”

9. Madeira Beach, Madeira Beach, Fla.

“Very nice, flat beaches. The beach is very clean – we even saw a beach Zamboni used to groom it each morning. You can enjoy a very nice walk on the beach for miles.”

10. Kailua Beach Park, Kailua, Hawaii

“Kailua offers plenty of everything: sand, wide open space, fewer crowds, and a good park to go with it. This beach is awesome, coming from a guy who grew up on an island.”