America’s Best Beaches for 2023 have been announced by Stephen Leatherman, also known as “Dr. Beach”, with St. George Island State Park beach in Florida taking the top spot. Leatherman, who has been publishing these annual rankings for more than 30 years, chose St. George Island because of its popularity with beachgoers, fishermen, and birdwatchers, as well as its natural beauty.
Hawaii has three beaches on this year’s list, with Duke Kahanamoku at number two, Wailea at number seven, and Poipu at number nine. Caladesi Island, also located in the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, came in at number four. Coopers Beach in New York claimed the third spot, followed by Lighthouse Beach in North Carolina, Coronado Beach in California, Beachwalker Park in South Carolina, and Coast Guard Beach in Massachusetts.
Leatherman considers 50 different factors when evaluating beaches for the list, not just the quality of the sand and water, but also the presence of wildlife, noise levels, distance from parked cars, and how much inflatables are used by swimmers.
Although St. George Island was hit hard by Hurricane Michael in 2018, it has made a substantial recovery, with its crystal clear waters and sugar-fine white sand beach returning to their former glory. In addition to swimming, visitors can enjoy walking on the beach and collecting beautiful shells.
Leatherman’s list is published each year just before Memorial Day weekend, the official start of beach season. It includes stunning photographs of each beach and Leatherman’s comments about why each one made the list. Congratulations to St. George Island for being named the best beach in America for 2023!
