Kā‘anapali Beach Ranked No. 2 in U.S. by TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor announced the winners of its Travelers’ Choice awards for Best Beaches. This year, Kā‘anapali Beach ranked No. 2 as Best Beach in the U.S. and Hanauma Bay on O‘ahu followed behind at No. 9.

Both beaches have moved up on the list, last year Kā‘anapali Beach was ranked No. 6 and Hanauma Bay was ranked No. 12.

Puʻu Kekaʻa “Black Rock”. File photo by Wendy Osher.

Five more Hawai‘i beaches made the Top 25 list including Waiʻānapanapa at No. 13, Wailea Beach at No. 15, Lanikai Beach on O‘ahu at No. 16, Hāpuna Beach on Big Island at No. 22 and Poʻipū Beach on Kauaʻi at No. 25

This year, Baia do Sancho, in Brazil, was ranked by TripAdvisor reviewers as the global winner and Florida’s Siesta Beach as No. 1 in the U.S.

TripAdvisor has honored 343 beaches including the top 25 in the world and local lists for Africa, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, the U.K. and the U.S.

Award winners were determined based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor, gathered over a 12-month period.

“To inspire those planning a beach getaway, we’ve surfaced the world’s best beaches from the millions of our traveler reviews,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “Traveling to a popular beach doesn’t have to be expensive; TripAdvisor can help find the best prices for highly-rated hotels and has a variety of value options for those looking to get the most out of their money while visiting one of these amazing beach destinations.”

“Winning a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Beaches award is very important for Baia do Sancho and Fernando de Noronha Island, where the beach is located. The award recognition is an opportunity for us to communicate all that this incredible place has to offer to global travelers,” said Luís Eduardo Antunes, general administrator of Fernando de Noronha.

To help travelers planning their next beach trip, TripAdvisor also identified the least expensive month for a hotel stay nearby the award-winning beaches and highlighted a variety of top-rated hotels to accommodate a range of budgets that travelers can shop on TripAdvisor.

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Beaches in the U.S.:
* (+/- denotes change in ranking year-over-year, beach destinations with no change are marked accordingly)

1. Siesta Beach – Siesta Key, Florida (+2)*

2. Kā‘anapali Beach – Lāhainā, Maui, Hawai‘i (+4)

Among the most frequented beach in West Maui, one of Kā‘anapali Beach’s most famous attractions is the daily cliff diving ceremony off of the beach’s northernmost cliffs known as Pu‘u Keka‘a or Black Rock. According to a TripAdvisor reviewer, “Kā‘anapali Beach is the nicest beach we have visited in our travels throughout the U.S. Clean and fine sand provides a pleasant experience for walking, catching the surf, or laying on the beach.”

Least expensive month to go: May, when hotels are bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of $376 per night
Highly-rated bargain hotel nearby: Kā‘anapali Ocean Inn – available to book on TripAdvisor for an average rate of $187 per night (60% less than average hotel prices for Lahaina)
Highly-rated mid-range hotel nearby: Maui Eldorado – available to book on TripAdvisor for an average rate of $223 per night
Highly-rated luxury hotel nearby: Honua Kai Resort & Spa – available to book on TripAdvisor for an average rate of $508 per night

3. Saint Pete Beach – Saint Pete Beach, Florida (+1)
4. Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, Florida (-3)
5. Beach at Panama City – Panama City Beach, Florida (+5)
6. Hollywood Beach – Hollywood, Florida (not ranked in 2016)
7. Pensacola Beach – Pensacola Beach, Florida (no change year-over-year)
8. Saint Augustine Beach – Saint Augustine Beach, Florida (+1)

9. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve – Honolulu, Hawai‘i (+3)

Located on the southeast coast of O‘ahu, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is one of Hawai‘i’s most popular natural attractions. Travelers note that the beach is good for swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing and picnicking. According to a TripAdvisor user, “This place is awesome to snorkel with small kids. Reefs are very near to the shore and you don’t have to swim far away.”

Least expensive month to go: April, when hotels are bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of $307 per night
Highly-rated bargain hotel pricing Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach – available to book on TripAdvisor for an average rate of $273 per night (24% less than average hotel prices for Honolulu)
Highly-rated mid-range hotel nearby: The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club – available to book on TripAdvisor for an average rate of $299 per night
Highly-rated luxury hotel nearby: The Kahala Hotel & Resort – available to book on TripAdvisor for an average rate of $506 per night

10. Ocean City Beach – Ocean City, Maryland (+15)

For the full list, click here.