Siesta Beach is best in the country and fourth best in the world
Dianne Fockner said she first visited Siesta Beach 16 years ago after looking at an online review of the beach.
“We’ve been to Hawaii, St. John, St. Thomas, Barbados,” Fockner said. “This is the best beach so far.”
Sarasota’s Siesta Beach was awarded the best beach in the country this year.
Tripadvisor released its yearly Travelers’ Choice Awards for the best national beaches and Siesta Beach took home the top honor.
The award is given to the beaches that receive above-and-beyond reviews on the site.
Michigan native Noël Pietsch said she agrees with the ranking.
“I feel it’s the best beach I’ve ever seen,” Pietsch said. “The sand is just beautiful, and it’s well maintained.”
She said “not all beaches” have as many amenities as Siesta Beach.
Siesta Beach offers free parking, sports facilities and beach-side dining.
This is the fourth time the Travelers’ Choice Awards’ first place goes to Siesta Beach.
Not only is Siesta the best beach in the U.S., but it also grabbed the title of fourth-best beach in the world this year.
Fockner said she loves going to Siesta Beach because of its friendly environment.
“It’s always beautiful,” Fockner said. “Sometimes when you walk, the dolphins are swimming right along the shore. You can’t beat that.”
The awards come off the heels of last year’s devastations from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The beach had around 34 million dollars worth of damages from Hurricane Milton alone.
Justin Rowell works for Ride and Paddle, a water sports equipment rental in Siesta Key, and witnessed the damages from last year’s hurricane season.
“It was a lot of destruction, a lot of debris and a lot of sand,” Rowell said.
He said, fortunately, the beach was cleaned up “very quick,” and a lot of businesses are back on track.
“The whole island is back up and running,” he said.
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