Last updated on May 25th, 2026 at 11:57 am
Three Gulf Coast beaches are among our nation’s best, according to Florida International University professor Stephen Leatherman, better known as “Dr. Beach”, whose annual Top 10 list of best beaches in America is widely recognized because of its foundation in science.
This year’s Top 10 is dominated by Florida (3) and Hawaii (4), as you might expect, and topping the list at No. 1 is Poipu Beach on the island of Kuai. Rounding out the list are beaches on Long Island, South Carolina and Cape Cod.
Dr. Leatherman’s list is not arbitrary. He is a scientist who adheres to 50 criteria, ranging from “beach softness” to algae to amenities and safety. It includes how crowded the beach gets, how noisy it is and whether the area is overdeveloped.
Florida Beaches in the Top 10
#2 — St. Andrews State Park, Panama City Beach
With its proximity to Panama City in the heart of Florida’s “Redneck Riviera,” this beach attracts a crowd in summer.
There are two fishing piers, a jetty and a boat ramp. Two nature trails offer opportunities for birding, especially during the spring and fall migrations. It’s also a good spot to observe the Monarch butterfly migration.
From March through November, take the park ferry to Shell Island for a day of shelling, sunning and beachcombing.
There’s a big campground with 176 sites on two loops. Three sites are set aside for “glamping” in luxury eco-tents with queen beds, two cots and air conditioning.
Dr. Beach ranks St. Andrews high for several qualities: “This strikingly white sandy beach is great for shelling and bird watching. Swimming and snorkeling are popular in both the Gulf of America and St. Andrews Bay on the other side. “
Here’s more about beach camping in the Panhandle, including St. Andrews State Park.
#3 — Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater
Ranking No. 3 on Dr. Beach’s 2026 list, Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, has long been included in the best beaches in Florida list. Caladesi ranked No. 1 in the US on the 2008 list.
After being blasted by Hurricane Helene in 2024, Caladesi Island State Park reopened last year on July 3, not in time to make last year’s list.
We are not alone in loving it. On Dr. Beach’s annual rankings, it is perennial winner: It was the No. 2 beach in America for 2022, No. 4 in 2023 and No. 1 in 2008.
How has it escaped the plight of so many crowded, high rise-lined Florida beaches?
Caladesi Island State Park, located off the urban coast of Clearwater Beach and Dunedin, is reachable only by boat and was never developed.
Its powdery fine white sand extends for miles along the island’s wild western shore without roads or buildings or leaf blowers to spoil its beauty and peacefulness.
“The white beach is composed of crystalline quartz sand which is soft and cushy at the water’s edge, inviting one to take a dip in the sparkling clear waters,” Dr. Beach said.
Besides boat, kayak or a ferry that runs frequently from sister state park Honeymoon Island, Caladesi can also be reached via a very long walk from Clearwater.
Here’s a Florida Rambler tip: It’s a great paddle to Caladesi.
#6 — Delnor-Wiggins State Park, Naples
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples. Delnor-Wiggins is across Wiggins Pass from Barefoot Beach. It’s an unspoiled beach good for shell collecting and even good snorkeling, which is rare for Gulf beaches.
Delnor-Wiggins is a story of a remarkable recovery. The Naples park was named the #8 beach in the U.S. in Dr. Leatherman’s annual ranking in 2024. But then Hurricanes Helene swept through on Sept. 26, 2024, and Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024.
The park was closed for months. It reopened officially on Feb. 4, 2025, after a massive effort. Tons of fine white sand had been deposited five feet deep on the parking lots and roads. The sand had to be shoveled up, sifted and then placed on the beach, where it was contoured to create a natural shoreline.
Dr. Leatherman likes Delnor-Wiggins because “This barrier island beach boasts of beautiful white sand beaches and crystal-clear Gulf waters. Activities include swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, shelling, and fishing. Wildlife in the park includes bald eagles, ospreys, and manatees.”
Here’s a Florida Rambler story on Delnor-Wiggins.
The Top 10 Best Beaches in America for 2026
- 1. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
- 2. St. Andrew State Park, Panama Beach
- 3. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater
- 4. Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
- 5. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
- 6. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Florida
- 7. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- 8. Kaunaoa, Big Island, Hawaii
- 9. Lanikai Beach. Oahu, Hawaii
- 10. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Past Florida winners Best Beaches in America
Dr. Beach has been ranking beaches for three decades and his list has included many from Florida over the years, making it a good way to identify top beaches in Florida.
Here are beaches that Dr. Beach has ranked as #1 at least once over the years:
St. George State Park, Florida Panhandle
Dr. Beach ranked St. George State Park, Florida Panhandle as the nation’s No. 1 and it made the top 10 list several times. If you are lucky enough to snag a campsite in this state park, it is also a great places to see stars under dark skies.
Read more: Apalachicola & St. George Island: Delightful town; spectacular beach
Grayton Beach State Park, Panhandle
Grayton Beach is a perennial winner. In 2020, Grayton Beach State Park in the Florida Panhandle was named the #1 beach in the US, No. 3 in 2019 and also won the No. 1 spot back in 1994.
The dunes along the mile-long beach harbor a unique collection of “dune lakes”, and you can paddle from one to the other. Sandwiched in the middle of this 2000-acre state park is the town of Grayton Beach, a tiny beachside enclave that is a throwback to yesteryear. The state park’s campground features 50 sites in two loops, and at the western side of the park are 30 two-bedroom cabins.
Read more about Grayton Beach State Park
Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde / St. Pete
Fort De Soto Park, North Beach, St. Petersburg. This is one of our favorite places to camp. Here’s our guide to Fort De Soto, a Pinellas County park spread over five islands and 900 acres. It was named No. 1 in 2005, when Dr. Beach wrote: “North Beach at Fort DeSoto Park is a natural jewel on the finger of a sun-drenched city. It’s a long, wide, sugar-sand beach with great shelling and thriving natural dunes on the Gulf of Mexico.”
Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota
Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota. The sand at this county beach is special – it’s made of quartz, not coral. Dr. Beach crowned it #1 in 2011 and readers of TripAdvisor also named it the No. 1 beach in America in 2015.
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Panhandle
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida Panhandle. This pure-white-sand beach goes on and on — for 9.5 miles – and has some of the largest sand dunes in Florida. It was named #1 beach is 2002.
Best beaches in Florida that never made #1
Several beaches are always the bridesmaid: They make the top 10 list time and again, but never make it to the No. 1 spot. These include:
Barefoot Beach Preserve, Bonita Springs
Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park in Bonita Springs. In 2014, it made it all the way to #2 on the best beaches list. The beach was blasted by Hurricane Ian in 2022.
It’s a great place to beachcomb, see dolphins in the water and gopher tortoises in the dunes. As a county park, it is less well-known outside the area and you reach this beach by winding through a community of multimillion dollar homes. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on Barefoot Beach.
Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne
Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne. Cape Florida has made the list several times. One thing that makes Cape Florida State Park so great is the historic lighthouse, which you can climb for postcard views and to learn its fascinating history. The park also has two good restaurants. More about Cape Florida State Park.
About Dr. Beach
Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.
He received his Ph.D. in Environmental (Coastal) Sciences from the University of Virginia, and completed his undergraduate degree in Geosciences at North Carolina State University.
Prior to joining FIU, Leatherman was professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at the University of Maryland; director of the National Park Research Unit at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and assistant professor in the Department of Geology at Boston University.
Dr. Leatherman’s official web site: drbeach.org
Leatherman has authored or edited 16 books, including Sea Level Rise: Causes and Consequences; Barrier Island Handbook; Overwash Processes; Cape Cod: From Glaciers to Beaches; and America’s Best Beaches. He has also authored over 200 journal articles and technical reports, including articles in both Science and Nature.
Leatherman has provided expert testimony multiple times for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was also the on-screen host and co-producer of the 1992 film “Vanishing Lands”, winner of three international film awards, including the Golden Eagle.
Discover more Florida beaches in this Florida Rambler section.
Please correct. It is the Gulf of Mexico. Don’t use the phony name of Gulf of America to describe these beautiful beaches in Florida
Hi Stan, We appreciate your position. To avoid the politics, our policy is to refer the Gulf simply as “the Gulf”, as do most Floridians, unless there is a need to further clarify which Gulf we are talking about. In this case, the reference you are talking about is a direct quote, framed in quote marks. We do not change direct quotes. — Bob Rountree
Wow, lots of typos in this article! You need to find a good proofreader.
Hi Pam, Thanks for the heads up! I found three typos. Since you said “lots” of typos, I assume there are more that I don’t see. Would you mind pointing them out so I can fix? Thanks! — Bob Rountree
The absolute best beach in Florida is, thankfully, on Tyndall Air Force Base and can’t be accessed by the general public. It’s wilderness and will stay that way.
Running three ads simultaneously makes the newsletter almost unreadab
Thanks for the alert, Danny. We are constantly seeking the right balance for our readers. Are you seeing this high density on a phone, tablet or desktop computer? (I’ve made one adjustment already for phones, and it looks a little better.)