🌞 Top U.S. Beaches to "Beach It" Summer '25: Dr. Beach's Picks!

Memorial Day Weekend kicked off summertime in the U.S., and many of our clients will be planning to hit the beach somewhere. Whereas Caribbean and Mexican beaches are top the list during our winter months, in summertime folks will generally stay domestic. So, where to “beach it” in the summer of ’25? Let’s check with Dr. Beach!

                Stephen Leatherman is a coastal scientist at Florida International University in Miami, and he’s gained the nickname Dr. Beach for his annual rankings of American beaches. He has a 50-factor checklist, including the presence of algae, prevalence of rip tides and cleanliness of the beach, plus air and water temperatures. As usual, beaches in Hawaii, Florida and New York (New York?) rule his list. Here are Dr. Beach’s top 10 for this year:

·         Cooper’s Beach, Southampton, N.Y. On the eastern end of Long Island, Cooper’s has large sand dunes and a pristine location. The only problem is its popularity, along with the high cost of parking. There’s a free shuttle running from downtown Southampton to help with that. “It’s a big, beautiful beach,” Dr. Beach says.

·         Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii. “The white coral sand beach gently slopes offshore and is great for snorkeling when the ocean is calm.”

·         Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii. “Actually, two beaches in one; a tombolo, which is a narrow sand spit that extends from the shore to an island, separates the two pocket beaches.”

·         Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Naples, Fla. “White sand beaches and crystal-clear Gulf waters,” says Dr. Beach, who also cites the park’s abundant wildlife, including manatees.

·         Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y. Also on Long Island, this beach offers many of the same great qualities as Cooper’s Beach. “The perfect blend of nature and built environment…towering sand dunes and beautiful, clean and clear blue water.”

·         Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C. “A nature-lovers coast, so visitors can bring their canoes and kayaks to paddle through the tidal inlets.”

·         St. Andrews State Park, Panama City, Fla. “A strikingly white sandy beach is great for shelling and bird watching. Swimming and snorkeling are popular in both the Gulf and St. Andrews Bay on the other side.”

·         Kaunaoa, Hawaii. “A quarter mile-long pocket beach that features clear, turquoise water and white coral sand that contrasts with the black lava rock.”

·         Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii. “Quite small, but arguably the most beautiful beach in Hawaii. The water is perfectly clear and shallow and usually calm with two offshore islands acting as a pictorial backdrop.”

·         Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass. “The picturesque old Coast Guard station still sits atop the glacial bluffs, allowing for a spectacular view of the Nauset Spit barrier system and bay.”

Ready to check out Dr. Beach’s beaches—or any other great US location this summer? Give us a call and get that sunscreen ready!

Sue Tindell