California Beaches
World's Best Beaches
- Is the water clean?
- Is the beach safe?
- What's the water temperature?
- What amenities are offered?
- Is there parking?
- What are added costs?
Answer: Mostly subjective selections in "best beaches" list provide no criteria or scientific method for selecting a single columnist's, traveler's or panels' selection. One publication, TripAdvisor, did base their findings on a poll of users to their website.
Here are the results:
CNN
World's Best Beaches 2013
73. Venice Beach, California, United States
This beachfront district is a SoCal institution and a freak show
free-for-all. Qi gong masseurs, hair braiders, fortune-tellers and artists
jostle along the 2½-mile Venice Boardwalk.
Highlight: Beachfront outdoor basketball courts -- competition can be fierce
on weekends and early evenings.
Comments: JT 9 months ago
Venice Beach, California...are you kidding me?! That beach sucks. If you're
not stepping on a hypodermic needle you're stepping in dog poop. So many
better beaches in California...and all the good one's are outside of LA
County.
National Geographic
World's Best Beaches
United States: 2 in Hawaii, The Hamptons, NY
TripAdvisor
Top 25 Beaches in the World 2013
US: 3 in Florida, 1 in Hawaii
Travel Channel
Sexiest Beaches, Family Beaches, Party Beaches, Romantic Beaches, Beach Bars, Exotic Beaches, Haven't Heard of Beaches, Overall Best Beaches
Best Beach Boardwalks
Venice Beach, California (Winner)
Ocean City, Maryland
Hollywood, Florida
Santa Cruz, California
Travel + Leisure
Best 32 Beaches on Earth
Best Beaches on Earth: Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California
Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, CA
Best for Dramatic Landscapes: The miles of cliff-lined Pacific Coast
that parallel California's Highway One are all scenic, but Pfeiffer beats
out nearby stretches for its rocky coves and unusual purple sand, earning
the No. 2 ranking for its dramatic landscape.
Venice Beach, Los Angeles
Best for People-Watching: The two-and-a-half-mile promenade along this
California beach, which came in second for people-watching, might as well be
a runway for bodybuilders, street performers, and fortune-tellers. Closer to
the waves, surfers and volleyball players strut their stuff.
Comments: lindytindy
Polihale Beach on Kauai is a very dangerous beach, hardly one of the world's
best. Rip tides, we nearly drowned there wading up to our ankles. Hard to
get to, really not a good idea at all.
Comments: asjonah
I certainly cannot understand how Playa Kalki can be rated as 8. It is a
small beach and not clean at all. People urinate and throw their food boxes
on the sand. The only good things are the wonderful birds. Whoever wrote and
rated the article hasn't travelled a lot.
lonely planet
none in U.S.
Conde Nast Traveler
World's Best Beach Hotels 21 - US none
Top 10 beaches None in U.S.
US News & World Report
Picked 10 (none in US) and guests voted for or against them
FODOR'S
15 Best Beaches 2014
SAN DIEGO, California
Lists of "best beaches" often gloss over the ones that are suitable
for families, but if that's what you're looking for you can't do better than
La Jolla, a cool neighborhood in Southern California's San Diego. La Jolla
Shores offers safe swimming and snorkeling right from the beach and is a
point of embarkation for kayakers who paddle to nearby La Jolla Cove. Caves
have been carved out of the cliffs by the might of the Pacific Ocean's waves
over the years. When you tire of the beach, explore the nearby hillsides, go
into town to check out some shops and galleries, and have a bite to eat at
any of the restaurants that line La Jolla Village.
Insider Tip: Southwest Airlines launches new routes to San Diego this year
from New Orleans, Orlando, Portland, and Seattle.
SeeCalifornia.com note: A battle brewing over La Jolla's beaches has included the seals and sea lion population creating a stink!
Dr. Beach
When Dr. Beach (Dr. Steven Leatherman) selected Coronado as the world's best beach in 2012, many were thrilled and others said "ho-hum". Dr. Beach is among the few who use a set of criteria and scientific method to pick best beaches in the world.
Among the newspaper and magazine favorite beaches internationally is Venice Beach, known for Muscle Beach.