The best beaches to visit in the US in 2021

The beach is a natural summer destination, but most folks settle for the nearest stretch of sand, no matter how rocky, dirty, and crowded.
Seek out a better beach experience at one of America’s amazing, pristine, beautiful, and thrilling beaches, from California to Puerto Rico. Here are the best beaches in the U.S. for vacationing.

Kaanapali Beach, Hawaii
Of all Maui’s stunning beaches, the island’s monarchs selected Kaanapali for their royal retreat. The rolling cliffs that give the beach its name hugs a pristine stretch of white sand, home to resorts, surfing schools, cocktail bars, and a nightly cliff diving ceremony that should provide plenty of entertainment.
Book your Kaanapali Beach vacation on Travelocity

Coligny Beach Park, South Carolina
The most popular spot on the famously upscale Hilton Head Island, Coligny Beach is built out with plenty of amenities to make for a stress-free beach day, including parking, changing rooms, gazebos, and seafood restaurants and ice cream shops nearby. While it does get crowded, take a lovely stroll down the beach until you find a quieter spot that fits your needs.
Book your Coligny Beach Park vacation on Travelocity

Coronado Beach, California
You can pull off the PCH pretty much anywhere along California’s coast and confront a stunning view and beautiful sunset, but Coronado Beach in San Diego offers a whole lot more. Sparkling sand, lapping waves, and a relaxing scene straight out of Hollywood (it played a starring role in “Some Like It Hot”).
Book your Coronado Beach vacation on Travelocity

Harris Beach, Oregon
Not all beaches are made for lounging in the sun. Harris Beach, at the southern end of Oregon’s coastline, is a more rugged alternative to the dappled, laid back spots on this list. Hike the area’s coastal trails, scramble over the rocks, or keep your eyes trained on the sea for a glimpse of gray whales.
Book your Harris Beach vacation on Travelocity

South Beach, Florida
Party beaches are their own animal, and Miami’s South Beach is a prime specimen. The glitzy stretch of Florida coastline is still a place to see and be seen, so put on your cutest bathing suit, whip out that beach bod you’ve been developing, and jump into the fray.
Book your South Beach vacation on Travelocity

Cape May, New Jersey
Small town seaside vibes within a quick drive of Philadelphia, New York, and Newark, Cape May has offered a relaxing retreat for generations of Tristaters. You can stay at a bed and breakfast, admire the town’s collection of historic Victorian homes, and bird watch to your heart’s content — when you’re not relaxing on the sand.
Book your Cape May vacation on Travelocity

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
There are, in fact, beaches between the Pacific and Atlantic. The sweeping hillsides of Sleeping Bear Dunes won it the approval of a hundred thousand “Good Morning America” viewers. The epic scene along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, just north of Empire, is the ideal place to kayak, camp, and hike.
Book your Sleeping Bear Dunes vacation on Travelocity

Playa Flamenco, Puerto Rico
The small island of Culebra is a municipality about 17 miles east of Puerto Rico. While it’s worth exploring the entire, sparsely populated island (only seven miles long and three miles wide), head for Playa Flamenco for clear, calm water and a horseshoe shaped piece of paradise on sand.
Book your Playa Flamenco vacation on Travelocity

Padre Island, Texas
Florida doesn’t have an exclusive claim on the nationa’s southern beaches. Padre Island, a half-mile-wide island off the southern tip of Texas, offers water for every type of beachgoer, from shallow pools perfect for kids, to waves big enough to entice surfers. There are plenty of activities, including fishing, parasailing, paddleboarding, and horseback riding on the beach, along with restaurants and entertainment.
Book your Padre Island vacation on Travelocity
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