Florida’s Clearwater Beach tops list of 2019's best beaches

Boy, we all sure could use some warm thoughts this time of year.

To the rescue comes travel site TripAdvisor with its 2019 list of the 25 best beaches in the United States.

For a second year in a row, Clearwater Beach in Florida lands at the top spot.

To determine its list, TripAdvisor took reviews posted over a 12-month period by travelers, paying attention to the quantity and quality of each the ratings.

One reviewer posted about Clearwater: “(It) is a very family oriented beach. There is ample parking along the beach and a metered parking lot. The beach itself has very fine white sand, which is very clean, with bathrooms and various places to wash the sand off your feet as you leave the beach.”

“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,” says Leroy Bridges, vice president of digital & communications for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.

Rounding out the Top 10 best beaches are Ka’anapali Beach in Hawaii; Panama City Beach in Florida, St. Pete Beach in Florida, Pensacola Beach in Florida, Siesta Beach in Florida, Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area in Hawaii, St. Augustine Beach in Florida, Fort Lauderdale Beach in Florida, and Driftwood Beach in Georgia.

Among the 25 best U.S. beaches, 40 percent are in Florida and nearly 30 percent are in Hawaii. In all, TripAdvisor looked at 352 beaches around the world.

“With cold weather causing many of us to wish for sunnier days, now is the perfect time to make your dreams come true and plan your next beach getaway at one of these amazing, award-winning beaches,” says Desirée Fish, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor.

As for the best beach in the world — TripAdvisor went with Baia do Sancho in Brazil.