Clearwater Beach ranked No. 1 by TripAdvisor’s best beaches 2019

Clearwater Beach’s sandy shores have been named No. 1 in the United States by TripAdvisor’s annual top 25 beach ranking.

This is the third time in four years the beach has taken the top spot, based on visitor reviews on TripAdvisor’s website over the past 12 months. St. Pete Beach came in at No. 4.

"Clearwater Beach continues to be one of the best beaches in the world, and it's special to have the millions who make up the TripAdvisor community reaffirm that it truly is the No. 1 beach in America for the second straight year," said Leroy Bridges, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater's vice president of communications.

Clearwater Beach also ranked on the travel website’s global list: No. 6 best beach in the world. Only one other U.S. beach made that list, and it’s in Hawaii.

The No. 6 ranking is a big jump for Clearwater Beach internationally. In 2016, TripAdvisor’s world list ranked it No. 20.

Florida’s beaches are regulars on other popular rankings, such as Dr. Beach, who has yet to release his 2019 list.

Of the top 25 U.S. beaches in the ranking, the most come from Florida, followed closely by Hawaii.

Here’s how the top 10 beaches in Florida measure up according to TripAdvisor and its users.

10. Hollywood Beach (National ranking: 15)

“It was a great walk and view of the water and very warm and friendly place with lots of places to go and eat.” -RonT4God

9. South Beach (National ranking: 14)

“Most of us has seen Miami in the movies...that Miami is South Beach. Great atmosphere from the morning to the late night. Full of bars, restaurant shops. It’s impossible to go to Miami and do not see this special place.” -paolovbossi

8. Navarre Beach (National ranking: 12)

“This is as secluded a beach I feel that you will find in our country. Miles of sandy beach, sparsely populated for now, followed by the National Gulf Seashore. Great for some surfing, walking, shelling, snorkeling, paragliding and other water sports.” -Meander694554

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7. Fort Lauderdale Beach (National ranking: 9)

“I want to be anywhere with a beach and Fort Lauderdale by far has one of the most beautiful beaches in the United States. I love the great selection of food along the boardwalk, the safety the local law enforcement provide without being overbearing, and the live entertainment available just by walking by a restaurant.” -miaajones

6. St. Augustine Beach (National ranking: 8)

“The most startling thing to me is that the ocean is so close to such a charming and historically significant city. One could easily spend a week between the beautiful ocean, and touring St. Augustine.” -ldtc2

5. Siesta Beach (National ranking: 6)

“The best beach ever! The entire beach is made up of white quartz sand is completely combed every morning. After combing, the sand actually appears fluffy! If you can afford to stay on the beach, do so! This is a must-see beach!” - Dave C

4. Pensacola Beach (National ranking: 5)

“Sand that looks and feels like sugar, gorgeous turquoise water, wide expanses of beach. You won’t find a better beach anywhere in the world.” -evalynfromFlorida

3. St. Pete Beach (National ranking: 4)

“Great beach for families. Hotels are nice and not so big that it ruins the beach feel. The sand is sugar white and if you like looking for shells this is the place. Of course the sunsets are truly spectacular.” -josephc929

2. Panama City Beach (National ranking: 3)

“Just spent 5 days in PCB on our annual girls trip. Wonderful time! We will be back next year. Friendly people, beautiful water and amazing oysters.” -Suzeq1313

1. Clearwater Beach (National ranking: 1)

“Had another fantastic afternoon spent on Clearwater beach last week, and the weather was perfect. I really enjoyed the white powdery sand as well as the various shops and restaurants all around. Just a ridiculously amazing sunset as well.” -SteveRainville99

For more on Florida Beaches, head to Floridabeachinsider.com.