The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eight Florida beaches listed among best in U.S.
St. Petersburg ranked No. 1 in nation and No. 5 in world by Tripadvisor.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — As the pandemic slowly begins to have an end in sight and people become more eager to travel, Tripadvisor ranked travelers’ favorite beaches across the county.
It should be no surprise that eight beaches in Florida made it into the list of the top 25 best beaches in the United States. St. Pete Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast near St. Petersburg came in at No. 1 for the Travelers’ Choice Awards for Best of the Best Beaches for 2021 from Tripadvisor.
“It’s the most perfect place to watch the sun set over the ocean,” one visitor said.
St. Pete Beach also made the ranking for the fifth best beach in the world, according to the ranking released by Tripadvisor.
There’s no better time to hit the beach, as it’s considered a relatively safe activity during the pandemic, provided that social distancing guidelines are observed. And as the vaccine becomes widely available to the general public, more travelers say finding a safe way to travel to the beach is a top priority for travel as the rollout of vaccines give rise to the hope that life could soon return to normal again.
“Your last trip to the beach probably feels like a lifetime ago, but with vaccine programs rolling out worldwide, safely making that beach getaway a reality just might be in reach! In fact, a recent Tripadvisor survey revealed that 60% of travelers are very likely to take a beach trip in 2021,” said Christine Maguire, vice president and general manager at Tripadvisor.
Madeira Beach, just west of St. Petersburg, was ranked No. 9. Ormond Beach, Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Florida, Pensacola Beach, Treasure Island Beach, Siesta Beach in Siesta Key and Clearwater Beach also made the list.
The Travelers’ Choice Awards are based on rankings from travelers on their most favorite beaches across the country. To find travelers’ favorite beaches, Tripadvisor ranks the beaches according to the number and quality of reviews and rankings travelers leave, combined with the amount of “saves” over 2020, where travelers save destinations they may want to visit at a later date.