Once again, Dr. Beach has judged the nation’s beaches and named Florida’s some of the very best.
We didn’t make No. 1, for the third year in a row, but St. Andrews State Park in Panama City ranked second in the 2026 Top Ten Beaches in the U.S., released May 21, at drbeach.org, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
Hawaii’s Poipu Beach on Kauai was No. 1, according to Dr. Beach, a.k.a Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University, who has created the best job ever.
Four of the beaches on the top ten list were in Hawaii, but Florida accounted for three of them: St. Andrews was second, Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin/Clearwater was third, and Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples scored sixth.
The rest of the top 10 were in New York, South Carolina, and Massachusetts.
Leatherman has evaluated the country’s 650 public beaches every year since 1991 for 50 different criteria, including water, sand quality, safety, and management.
Previous No. 1 winners — and we’ve had a few — are retired from the rankings. One Florida beach, Cape Florida State Park in Miami, was excluded this year because of excessive sargassum seaweed, Leatherman said in an email, while two others in California and North Caroline were skipped due to pollution or erosion.
Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, is Dr. Beach’s top pick for 2026
Leatherman loved this family beach that’s “known for its golden corral and crystal-clear water.”
Located on Kauai’s “sunny south shore,” Poipu Beach is protected by an offshore island, making it great for children and snorkeling, Leatherman said.
“Monk seals and sea turtles frequently come ashore in the afternoon to rest,” he said, “so observe but don’t disturb.”
St. Andrews State Park ranks No. 2 on Best Beaches list
St. Andrews State Park, just east of Panama City Beach, features high-rise hotels and many built attractions like putt-putt golf courses, Leatherman said.
An inlet separates a short section of St. Andrews from the main part of the park, which is only accessed by boat, both ferry and private.
“This strikingly white sandy beach is great for shelling and bird watching,” Leatherman said. “Swimming and snorkeling are popular in both the Gulf of America and St. Andrews Bay on the other side.”
This is a big jump for St. Andrews, which ranked No. 7 last year.
Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin makes No. 3
Another frequent Dr. Beach top-tenner, Caladesi Island State Park is 3rd on the list this year. It usually hovers near the top; it was fourth in 2023 and second in 2022, and was only left out last year because it was closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene.
Caladesi is reachable mainly by ferry and private boat, but a person in good shape who’s watching the tides could walk there from Clearwater Beach. Caladesi isn’t a true island any longer because an inlet closed off, Leatherman said.
“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,” he said.
Caladesi has boardwalk nature trails and kayaking through mangroves that are home to numerous species of fish, birds, and other animals.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park is No. 6 on Dr. Beach’s list in 2026
Down from No. 4 last year (but up from No. 8 in 2024), the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples was highlighted for its 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. Pine trees provide welcome shade,” Leatherman said.
What are Dr. Beach’s top 10 beaches for 2026?
Who is Dr. Beach?
Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, the face behind Dr. Beach, is a lifelong beachgoer and internationally recognized authority on beach erosion, hurricane impacts, the effects of sea level rise, and rip currents. He started ranking beaches by accident in 1989 when a travel magazine called him and asked for a list of the top ten U.S. beaches.
After it went viral, Leatherman decided to keep doing it. He developed an exhaustive set of criteria to judge each beach and took the time to survey all 650 public beaches in the U.S.
The first Dr. Beach list was released on Memorial Day weekend in 1991.
Originally, any beach that won the top spot on Dr. Beach’s list was retired and ineligible for subsequent years, but in 2016, Leatherman cleared the slate to allow any beach in the nation to once again be eligible for the contest and for the top pick.
Leatherman hosted and co-produced the award-winning 1992 film “Vanishing Lands,” and has authored or edited 16 books, including, not surprisingly, “America’s Best Beaches.”
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: These Florida beaches made Dr. Beach’s 2026 top 10
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
