Tripadvisor’s annual Travelers’ Choice Awards recently honored a Los Angeles beach in their annual rankings. On their list of the “Best of the Best Beaches,” Santa Monica State Beach was named #18 in the United States. While the beach was knocked down a few rungs from its 2024 ranking at #7, a top-twenty spot is still respectable — only 1% of TripAdvisor’s listings make it into the Travelers’ Choice Awards.
⚠️ But first, a safety note: L.A.’s Public Health Department has issued several ocean water use warnings in the wake of the wildfire crisis. Santa Monica Beach is one of numerous local beaches affected by wildfire debris runoff and low water quality. You can keep up with @LAPublicHealth on X for the latest alerts.
What other beaches made the list?
The “Best of the Best Beaches” include a world ranking as well as subcategories for different continents and regions. Beaches in Hawaii and Florida dominated the United States ranking, with the top three spots as follows…
- #1 – Siesta Beach (Siesta Key, Florida)
- #2 – Poipu Beach Park (Kauai, Hawaii)
- #3 – Ka’anapali Beach (Maui, Hawaii)
The highest-ranked California beach on the list was La Jolla Cove in San Diego at #4, known as a popular surfing spot with tide pools and good opportunities for wildlife watching. The next California beach to make the list was Santa Monica Beach at #18, followed by Coronado Beach in San Diego at #23.
As for the world ranking, the #1 spot went to Elafonissi Beach in Crete, Greece, famous for its pink sands and shallow lagoons. Right below it was Banana Beach in Phuket, Thailand at #2, followed by Eagle Beach in Aruba at #3 and Siesta Beach in Florida at #4.
What’s so special about Santa Monica State Beach?
Santa Monica’s famous coastline earned its top position on the list due to its high volume of positive reviews and opinions on Tripadvisor — about 4.5 out of 5 stars from 6,764 reviews, to be exact. The list mentions sunbathing, surfing, and the famous Santa Monica Pier as some of the main draws.
It’s understandable why Santa Monica Beach ranks so highly — not only is it a massive, picturesque beach with tons of activities, but it’s also an international destination offering a quintessential SoCal beach experience. Tourists come from all over the world to bike down the cycling path, watch a dazzling sunset, or take a ride on the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel.
How did Tripadvisor pick the world’s best beaches?
Tripadvisor, which has over 8 million listings, determines its Travelers’ Choice Awards based on user ratings from the past 12 months. These awards cover hotels, restaurants, beaches, and destinations, with only about 1% of listings making the cut. The rankings are purely based on traveler feedback, ensuring that each recognized beach or attraction has consistently impressed visitors worldwide.