Florida beaches named among best in U.S. in annual Dr. Beach list

A Florida beach was named the second best in the U.S. on the annual Dr. Beach Top 10 list released ahead of Memorial Day, the traditional kickoff to summer.

Caladesi Island State Park got the silver in the 2022 list coming behind Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

The way the list works is that each year, Dr. Beach, aka Stephen Leatherman, a professor at Miami’s Florida International University who came up with the list beginning in 1991, uses 50 criteria to name the top 10 beaches. When a beach makes it to No. 1, it is retired from the list so other beaches can get a shot in successive years. After 25 years, Leatherman reset it so former winners were back in the mix.

Caladesi won the title previously in 2008, and this year jumped from No. 7. five places to No. 2, leapfrogging the only other Florida beach on this year’s list, St. George Island State Park in the Panhandle, which stayed at No. 4.

Caladesi, primarily accessible by boat, is located north of Clearwater and west of Dunedin.

“Caladesi is reached by pedestrian ferryboat, private boats or a long walk north from Clearwater Beach – the inlet is closed, so Caladesi is no longer a true island, but still a great getaway,” 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. There are boardwalk trails, but my favorite is the kayak and canoe trails through the mangroves to see the large blue herons and other birds that frequent this wonderful natural area.”

Other Florida beaches that have garnered top honors in years past include Grayton Beach State Park near Santa Rosa Beach up in Florida’s panhandle in 2020; Siesta Beach on Siesta Key near Sarasota in 2017, both repeat winners since Leatherman reset his list. Other past winners from the Sunshine State have included Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg in 2005, St. Joseph Peninsula in Port St. Joe in 2002, St. Andrews State Park in Panama City in 1995 and Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key in 1992.

Leatherman describes this year’s top beach, Okrakoke, as “once the home of Blackbeard the pirate, is still a special place — it is my favorite getaway beach. Here you will find some of the wildest beaches in the country. Big surf dominates in late summer so families with children may want to come earlier in the year. Don’t expect to play golf or stay at the Ritz; the main pursuits are swimming and beachcombing.”

The rest of the top 10 are Caladesi at No. 2; Cooper Beach in Southampton, New York at No. 3; St. George Island, which is near Apalachicola at No. 4; Duke Kahanamoku Beach on Oahu, Hawaii at No. 5; Lighthouse Beach in Buxton in North Carolina’s Outer Banks at No. 6; Coronado Beach in San Diego at No. 7; Wailea Beach in Maui, Hawaii at No. 8, Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island in South Carolina at No. 9; and Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts at No. 10.

St. George Island State Park is located on a strip of land across Apalachicola Bay.

“This long barrier island, far from urban areas, is a favorite destination for beachgoers, anglers and bird watchers as nature abounds,” Leatherman said. “Besides swimming in the crystal-clear water, I enjoy beachcombing and shelling. While St. George Island suffered a big hit in 2018 by Hurricane Michael, the area has substantially recovered, especially the sugary fine, white sand beach. There is much to explore on this serene 2,023-acre park.”