Dr. Beach reveals top 10 U.S. beaches for 2016

Looking for the best beaches to visit this summer? Look no further than Dr. Beach’s 26th annual top 10 list of U.S. beaches, released today.

So who is this Dr. Beach? He’s also known as Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor at the Florida International University and coastal expert, who issues an annual list of top beaches based on 50 criteria, including water and sand quality and even views and vistas. This year the beaches making the list put beach safety, environmental management and no-smoking policies as priorities.

So which beaches are the best in the U.S.? Here’s the top 10:

1. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve – Oahu, Hawaii
2. Siesta Beach – Sarasota, Florida
3. Kapalua Bay Beach – Maui, Hawaii
4. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach – Outer Banks of North Carolina
5. Coast Guard Beach – Cape Cod, Massachsetts
6. Grayson Beach State Park – Florida panhandle
7. Coronado Beach – San Diego, California
8. Coopers Beach – Southampton, New York
9. Caladesi Island State Park – Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
10. Beach walker Park – Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Hanauma Bay has been chosen as the best beach in America and is located on the eastern want of Oahu. It’s a stunner, with white sand coral in a breached volcano. What makes it so good? It’s a marine protected area, which is closed on Tuesdays to “give the first a chance to rest.” It’s also the first non-smoking beach in Hawaii. Check it out for yourself with flights to Honolulu.

Img: Points of Rock by Joseph Leonardo / Flickr cc.