FRONT PORCH

Check out this article By Ale Fadel / Islander News Apr 6, 2025

Of the 6,000 beaches in the United States, many Americans wonder where to find the best of the best. Hawaii? California? No–Florida!

TripAdvisor recently created a list of the 25 best beaches of the year, compiling information from 8 million listings.

Siesta Key Beach came in at number four in the world, and took the top spot in the United States.

In the world ranking, it came in just behind Elafonissi Beach–a gorgeous pink sand beach in Greece–Thailand’s Banana Beach, and Aruba’s Eagle Beach.

The Florida gem beat out all other beaches in the nation, with the next U.S. placement being Poipu Beach Park in Hawaii coming in at 14th place.

So what makes Siesta Key Beach so great? Reading through TripAdvisor reviews answers that question easily.

User AjayJM writes, “The beach is huge, both in terms of length and breadth. It has several beach volleyball courts. There was even a band playing when we were there. The other amazing piece is shells. This entire stretch of the south west gulf coast of Florida has lots of shells.”

Another user (BQM67) praised the actual water, writing that “Walking into and out of the water is a dream!! You never feel like you are going to be pulled under or fall. There are no sharp objects, drops in the sand, little seaweed, no jelly fish etc. The waves are fun but not too strong. The sand is so beautifully white and soft like baby powder and it never gets hot.”

Besides the stellar nature, visitors can enjoy a relaxed beach experience with over 900 free parking spots. The area is highly walkable, connected by plenty of public transportation, and dotted with snacks and drink options around as well.

Siesta Key has also gone the extra mile to ensure accessibility for all visitors. Wheelchair-friendly pathways and flat surfaces make it easier for users to navigate the area and reach the shore, so that all visitors can enjoy the gorgeous coastline.

Two other Florida beaches made the top-10 cut in the nation. Coming in at 6th place was Clearwater Beach, and Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys took 9th place.