A woman dips her toes in the sand of Hanalei Bay, the top beach on Dr. Beach's annual list. With Memorial Day behind us (I do believe the smell of barbecue is still lingering in my nostrils) it's officially the start of beach season in the U.S., and the perfect time to check out the annual list of top ten beaches tallied by Dr. Beach (aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research).
Dr. Beach judges the beaches using 50 criteria, including water and sand quality, safety, facility availability and environmental management. And ranking number one this year was Hawaii's Hanalei Bay, on the island of Kauai. The two-mile crescent of white-sand beach is lined with palm trees and waterfalls, and has stayed off big developers, much to the relief of tourists and locals alike. Located on the island's North Shore, it's secluded, surrounded by 4,000-foot peaks, and the bay allows for safe swimming during the summer months. I visited the beach while in Kauai two summers ago, and have to agree with Dr. Beach that it's truly idyllic.
Not that you have to travel as far as Hawaii to find a great patch of sand. This list is well rounded, featuring beaches on both the east and west coasts, including two on Long Island (where I'm from, so I can attest to their charms).
You can check out the full list after the jump, and see a slideshow of each beach at National Geographic News. Want more beach tips? Be sure to check out NG's Green Guide Summer planner for great ideas on a smart and eco-savvy summer.
TOP 10 BEACHES 2009
1. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida
3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
4. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina
8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
How may of these beaches have you visited? What beaches should have made the list?
Photograph by Charles Kogod/National Geographic Image Collection
1. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida
3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
4. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina
8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
How may of these beaches have you visited? What beaches should have made the list?
Photograph by Charles Kogod/National Geographic Image Collection
Subscribe to RSS feed
Subscribe to RSS feed
Hi Janelle,
Did you know that Hanalei Bay was the 'accidental' source of the song Puff the Magic Dragon's setting? "Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in the land called Honalee..." Must be amazing!
ha. I'd heard that - and it's also the site where South Pacific was originally filmed. In fact Kauai has played host to a whole bunch of movies, including Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park.
I think Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina, would be a bit higher if you considered local food, too. The beach is great, but the food is awesome.
Hanalei bay is the most beautiful beach I've ever seen and all thanks to the Royal Manu Kai such a great place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_epUmKGG3U
Tunnels Beach on Kauai would not come close to making the list because parking and facilities are non-existent; however, it's probably the greatest snorkeling location in Hawaii -- and just a short distance past Hanalei Bay. Here's an aerial photograph of Hanalei Bay that I took last year.
Hanalei Bay is just mid blowing; it’s the paradise on earth.
Shail : Agra India
Tops on my list is the Bahia Honda State Park Beach in the Florida Keys. Miles of white sand beach and turquoise waters that make you think you're in the Caribbean!
All these beaches are definitely good in all aspects. I have been to California on Coronado Beach and very excited to visit all the other beaches. May be i will start with the beach of New York.
Nice post admin. It's very usefull information. Thanks a lot.
Empire Beach in Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore would definitely make the top ten, crystal clear waters, miles of sandy beach and bordered by tall forested bluffs and sand dunes. Well, maybe not so great in January..
This is a really great top ten list. Coronado would be my number 1, it is one of the widest beaches in the world so it never feels crowded, the weather is perfect, you get an air show with all the Navy planes flying in and out, there's a dog beach, and the Hotel Del is a perfect place to grab a drink or a bite to eat. Anyone can post their own list to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
Empire Beach!! A great one! We visited it in June with the family, it is gorgeous.
We had been looking since May for a nice seaside place to go. I looked for some related information, videos and pictures to find a really top beach. And I found all this at http://www.picktorrent.com which is a good torrent files search engine, so there was no problem with all this.
And yes, next time we are going to Coronado!!
beautiful beach...
Perdido Key! I live here and love it..it was on Dr. Beach's list last year and should've been on this year. If you want to see pictures, go to http://www.perdidochamber.com.
That list makes me want to head out to the beach right now.The beaches in America are simply amazing!
Great post, Great Ideas to help build network which pays for a long haul.
Thanks much!
Such as huge list. Very helpful for travelers. In case you need hotel, check out this Perth Hotels
My favorite US beaches are -
South Beach and Myrtle Beach
My favorite US beaches are -
South Beach and Myrtle Beach. Beach Vacations
This is really wonderful and knowledgeable… will definitely go ahead to see this great place...
Thanks!!!
Great list of U.S. beaches! I like Hanalei Bay and Hamoa beaches of Hawaii..