These Florida beaches made Dr. Beach’s 2026 top 10

Once again, Dr. Beach judged the nation’s beaches and named Florida’s among the best.

We fell short of the top spot for the third year in a row, but St. Andrews State Park in Panama City placed second in America’s Top Ten Beaches 2026, released May 21 on drbeach.org, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Poipu Beach, Hawaii, on Kauai, was number one, according to Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Florida International University, who created the best job of all time.

Four of the top ten beaches were in Hawaii, but Florida had three: St. Andrews was second, Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin/Clearwater was third, and Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples was sixth.

The rest of the top 10 were in New York, South Carolina and Massachusetts.

Leatherman has rated the nation’s 650 public beaches annually since 1991 based on 50 different criteria, including water quality, sand quality, safety and management.

Previous #1 winners – and we’ve had a few – are removed from the rankings. One Florida beach, Cape Florida State Park in Miami, was excluded this year due to excess sargassum seaweed, Leatherman said in an email, while two others in California and North Carolina were skipped due to pollution or erosion.

Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, is Dr. Beach’s Top Pick for 2026

Leatherman loved this family-friendly beach “known for its golden corral and crystal clear waters.”

Located on Kauai’s “sunny south shore,” Poipu Beach is protected by an offshore island, making it ideal 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 #2 on Best Beaches List

St. Andrews State Park, just east of Panama City Beach, is home to high-rise hotels and many attractions built like putt-putt golf courses, Leatherman said.

A creek separates a short section of St. Andrews from the main part of the park, accessible only by boat, ferry or private.

“This strikingly white sand beach is ideal for shelling and bird watching,” Leatherman said. “Swimming and snorkeling are popular in the Gulf of America and in St. Andrews Bay on the other side.”

This is a big jump for St. Andrews, which ranked 7th last year.

• When: Open from 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year

Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin becomes number 3

Another frequent Dr. Beach top 10, 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 behind last year because it was closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene.

Caladesi is accessible primarily by ferry and private boat, but a fit person watching the tides can walk there from Clearwater Beach. Caladesi is no longer a true island because a cove closed, Leatherman said.

“The White Beach is made up of crystal clear quartz sand, soft and fluffy at the water’s edge, inviting a swim in the sparkling clear waters,” he said.

Caladesi offers nature trails and kayak rides through the mangroves which are home to many species of fish, birds and other animals.

• When: Open from 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park is #6 on Dr. Beach’s List in 2026

Down from No. 4 last year (but up from No. 8 in 2024), 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. Park wildlife includes bald eagles, ospreys and manatees. Pine trees provide welcome shade,” Leatherman said.

• When: Open from 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year

What are Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches for 2026?

1. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

2. St. Andrews State Park, Panama City, Florida

3. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida

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

Who is Dr. Beach?

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, the face behind Dr. Beach, is a lifelong beach enthusiast and an internationally recognized authority on beach erosion, hurricane impacts, 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 ten best beaches in the United States.

After it went viral, Leatherman decided to keep doing it. He developed a comprehensive set of criteria for judging each beach and took the time to review all 650 public beaches in the United States.

Dr. Beach’s first list was published on Memorial Day weekend in 1991.

Originally, any beach that won the top spot on Dr. Beach’s list was removed and ineligible for subsequent years, but in 2016, Leatherman cleared the list to allow any beach in the country to be eligible for the competition and top pick again.

Leatherman hosted and co-produced the award-winning 1992 film “Vanishing Lands” and is the author or editor of 16 books, including, not surprisingly, “America’s Best Beaches.”

CA Bridges is a reporter for the Connect Service Journalism team at the USA TODAY Network-Florida. You can get all the best Florida content delivered straight to your inbox every weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.

This article was originally published on Naples Daily News: Beaches in Panama City, Naples, Dunedin and Florida are rated among the best in the United States